This summer, my School of Community began charitable work with Isaiah House, a home for children entering foster care while they are waiting on a placement. The house supports social workers as well as foster families, a mission that is close to the hearts of many in our community.

Many of us had been talking about doing charitable work together as a community for years, although we hadn’t really done much charitable work as a community since the pandemic. We had the desire to do something, but excuses kept getting in the way — we couldn’t find a time or a place that would work for everyone, how to include kids, etc. Charitable work is proposed by the Movement in a specific way: to be done together as a community. Many of us had been doing things in our parishes, schools, and communities as individuals or families, but it had been a long time since we had done something together as a community. In the past year, Isaiah House had been mentioned a few times and I started following them on social media. But still we just talked about it and never really did anything about it.

This summer, my friend Julie prompted me to take a step and reach out to Isaiah House. She asked me to do this at a time that was very difficult for me, when we were finding out that the adoption we had hoped for was falling through. I was suffering and struggling with what God wanted for my life. I have felt called to be a mother, and yet every path towards being a mother has been so difficult and seems to lead to more suffering. Julie knew that I was struggling and asking these questions, but instead of allowing me to sit in my self-pity, she helped me to take a step to go beyond myself. Right now I don’t have children of my own, but what I do have is the capacity to give of myself in other ways through hospitality, through teaching, and through organizing charitable work.

I finally reached out to Isaiah House and got connected with the people there. My husband Brian and I hosted a dinner with some friends to propose this work. The response from friends was very positive and people were eager to help. They all expressed a desire to begin this work and were glad we were doing this together.

We have only gone a couple of times now, but each time has been beautiful and fruitful. Before beginning our work, we read the beginning of the booklet on charitable work and I was struck by the words of Fr. Giussani: “I am able to understand the word ‘charity’ when I remember that the Son of God, loving us did not send us His riches (as He was able to do) and revolutionize our situation; instead He became poor like one of us: He ‘shared’ our nothingness. We do charitable work in order to live like Christ.”

The first time we went, one child asked, “Why this house?” The house looks like a normal house and the tasks we were doing are simple and things we could do at any house. This question prompted me to think more deeply about why we are doing this work. I responded by saying “We are preparing a nice place for kids to come who need a safe, beautiful place to stay for a little bit.” This was a simple response, but it reminded me of the impact of beauty and the importance of preparing a place for hospitality.

One friend shared her witness. She was reluctant to go at first because she enjoys a quiet Saturday morning going to mass with her husband. But she recognized that this Movement that has given so much to her proposes charitable work for a reason. She accepted the offer to gather with friends to pull weeds and clean the yard. In the end, she said, doing this work together was a beautiful gesture.

For me this work has already been meaningful and life-giving. I see that it's not enough to just do charitable work to feel good about helping others or even to spend time with friends, but instead it is a way to look at my own needs and to see that I can’t fulfill myself, only Christ can. The simple work of cleaning and doing yard work won’t fulfill the needs of these children — it won’t take away their trauma and sufferings. Only Christ can do that, but I hope through our work they can glimpse Christ and know that they are loved.

Charitable work makes me more myself. I am more aware of my own needs and my own suffering. It gives meaning to my life and that meaning is Christ.

Sarah, Evansville, IN