Campus Ministry

Community Service

“Volunteering really brings people together and makes you feel like you are helping out the community and doing well for others. It was a great experience, especially doing it alongside friends and teammates. Everyone is helpful and in high spirits, which makes it all the better. It makes you realize that others less fortunate around you can be easily helped with the help of the community, which makes you want to do more.” – Karen Casteneda, ’18

Men and Women for Others

Our Jesuit tradition informs our students’ commitment to service and progressive activism. Through Campus Ministry’s community service programs, students have a wide array of volunteer opportunities available to them locally, nationally and internationally.

Annually, more than 700 students volunteer on 50 or more projects at 30 different sites in Hudson County. The results are astounding. During the past year, Saint Peter’s students contributed more than 16,000 hours of service and raised over $8,000 for various charitable causes. Students have the option of individually committing to at least 5 hours a week tutoring in local schools through our America Reads Program, or at least 30 hours per semester, 10 hours a month, in any number of local agencies with our Loyola Volunteer Program. In conjunction with student clubs and organizations, the Community Service Program helps students participate in events through our Monthly Service Calendar.

America Reads

The America Reads Program is a federally funded tutoring and enrichment program. Students who qualify for federal work-study may apply for a tutoring position. Tutors work in 3 schools: Resurrection School, Saint Aloysius School, and the Team Walker Youth Program. Students work with children from grades 2-9, providing homework help, and enrichment. The hours are Monday-Thursday, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. for Saint Aloysius and Saint Joseph’s School, and 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Team Walker Enrichment Program.

Junkyard Dogs

The Junkyard Dogs is a service program that seeks to foster pride and care in Jersey City by physically cleaning up its streets and spreading awareness of the need to maintain and respect it. Clean-ups take place on weekends from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. or weekdays 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Campus Kitchen

This program takes unused food and repackages it into healthy meals to be delivered to people who are hungry. Shifts occur in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Fridays. Volunteers are needed to repackage food, deliver the meals and pick up donations.

Campus Kitchen
Campus Kitchen
Campus Kitchen

The Dirt on Jersey City: Campus Kitchen

Hunger-Free Campus

In January of 2023, Saint Peter’s University was awarded a $50,000 grant from the FY23 Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program.

Hunger-Free campuses must fulfill several requirements, such as creating a task force to address hunger, helping students register for SNAP benefits, and providing at least one physical food pantry in a stigma-free environment.

Learn more about the Hunger-Free Campus Program.

Community Service Calendar

Each semester, Campus Ministry schedules service events open to all students. These events include:

  • Glamour Gals – Make-up and hair done for elderly residents of nursing homes.
  • Freshman Day of Service
  • Hillside Foodbank visits – Sort and package food for soup kitchens and shelters.
  • Blood Drives – 4 drives a year.
  • Awareness Walks: Breast Cancer, CROP Walk.
  • Angel Giving Tree – Purchasing and wrapping gifts for children in need.

Petrus Project

The Petrus Project is a program that seeks to rebuild and improve the homes of those most in need. Through the Hurricane Sandy recovery and working with Rebuilding Together/Jersey City, students work in private homes as well as non-profits, completing small projects such as painting and light clean-up.

Student Organizations/Athletic Teams

Campus Ministry also works with all student organization and athletic teams, coordinating service projects to satisfy their requirements.

For more information please contact:

Erich Sekel
Associate Director of Campus Ministry for Community Service
(201) 761-7395

Saint Peter’s was named on the President’s Higher Education Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Honor Roll recognizes colleges and universities that help solve community problems and motivate students to pursue a lifelong path of civic engagement. Saint Peter’s was the only higher education institution in New Jersey to be recognized in all four categories: Community, Service, Interfaith Community Service, Economic Opportunity and Education.