Campus Ministry’s annual service auction was held on Thursday, Nov. 18 in order to help fund the service trips that Cabrini students are taking this year to New Orleans, West Virginia and Ecuador.
Students, faculty and the surrounding Cabrini community gathered to bid on unique items in any of the 117 baskets that were donated by members of the Cabrini community as well as from businesses located in the Wayne and Radnor area. Students, faculty and the campus community had the chance to bid on unique items such as handmade items, restaurant gift cards, Philadelphia Flyers jerseys and more.
The main focus of these trips will be to help restore flood damage in the areas of New Orleans, West Virginia and Ecuador. If a student wants to go on one of the service trips by helping out with auction by selling raffle tickets, finding donors or working at the auction, two-thirds of their trip was paid for.
“Flood relief is really big this year specifically because the flood damage in New Orleans and West Virginia have been really bad over the last year since our last trip,” Matt Harshberger, service auction leader, said. “Other years they would be for rebuilding houses, especially the New Orleans or the West Virginia area. Those are very impoverished areas where the conditions are very sad to see in the United States.”
Harshberger and his group of peer ministers, which includes seniors Meghan Horn and Mary Kate Moran as well as junior Kimberly Pepenella, have lead the way for this year’s auction. They have also had the help of Campus Minister Rosa Altomare and director of Campus Ministry Father Carl F. Janicki guiding them along the way.
The peer minister position is one of the most important roles in the Campus Ministry, and the title is not taken lightly.
“Freshman year I became very interested in campus ministry, so each year I kind of grew my leadership positions and a lot of people told me that I should apply for peer minister and I prayed to God, and he, I guess directs you in the right position always,” Horn said. “So I applied for the position and thankfully got the position and am grateful to have Mary-Kate Kimberly and Matt to help me with it too.”
The process, as the peer ministers explained, is a year-round one. “Preparation for service auction 2017 starts [Friday, Nov. 18],” Horn said.
Harshberger would advice that the service trips that Campus Ministry run because of the funds this auction supports them with not only benefit the people receiving the help but also benefit the Cabrini students going down to help them.
“These are incredible experiences for students to have, I can speak first hand to that, it’s really changed my life,” Harshberger said.
