H.O.P.E. Service Immersion Program
Honoring our neighbor, Organizing for justice, Practicing peace, Encountering God
What is the H.O.P.E. Service Immersion Program?
Inspired by the enduring values of a Holy Cross education, and the belief that learning is enhanced when it takes place in the context of a compelling situation, H.O.P.E. seeks to engage members of the Stonehill community in cross-cultural service experiences. H.O.P.E. further endeavors to challenge the Stonehill community to grow in love of God and neighbor by embodying the Church's commitment to a preferential option for and with the poor.
H.O.P.E. is an acronym that stands for the four tenets of the program:
Honoring our Neighbor
We seek to walk alongside people in the communities to which we travel, showing our love and concern for them mostly by our presence and by any service we are asked to provide.
Organizing for Justice
By encountering situations of injustice domestically and internationally, we seek to name the underlying causes of these situations; that we might be able to work towards their resolution.
Practicing Peace
We foster and build relationships with communities to promote understanding amongst varying cultures at home and abroad, in an effort to end indifference and ignorance.
Encountering God
Rooted in the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and the Gospel, we are open to finding the living God amongst those who are suffering injustices.
Who organizes the H.O.P.E. Program?
The Campus Minister for Service Immersion, Colleen Schoeck, works with student interns and leaders to facilitate and execute the program. The student leaders begin preparations for all trips at the beginning of the fall semester. They lead orientation meetings and help to prepare the groups to make sure the week of immersion runs smoothly.
Who participates in the H.O.P.E. Program?
All H.O.P.E. experiences are open to students and employees at Stonehill College. Some alumni have served as employee leaders in the past.
Support the H.O.P.E. Program
Inspired by the enduring values of a Holy Cross education, and the belief that learning is enhanced when it takes place in the context of a compelling situation, H.O.P.E. seeks to engage members of the Stonehill community in cross-cultural service experiences. H.O.P.E. further endeavors to challenge the Stonehill community to grow in love of God and neighbor by embodying the Church's commitment to a preferential option for and with the poor.