June 24, 2025 // Diocese

Teens Give Back During St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Service Week

Christopher Lushis

Freelance Writer

This summer marked the fifth consecutive year of Teen Service Week, arranged by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Fort Wayne. The program invites high school students to participate in service projects that benefit neighbors in need, aiming to foster community spirit, develop practical skills, and strengthen faith through service.

As in previous years, the St. Vincent de Paul Society invited high school-aged students from across Fort Wayne to work with adult members of the Carpenter’s Sons program at St. Vincent de Paul Parish. The Carpenter’s Sons apostolate serves lower-income homeowners in the community with minor home repairs, usually assisting older adults or persons with disabilities.

Each morning from Monday, June 9, through Thursday, June 12, 23 teens assembled with adult mentors at the St. Vincent Life Center.  After having breakfast and praying together, they embarked on missions of service throughout the city. Their work projects included constructing handrails, installing new fencing, building wheelchair ramps, and more for those who could not otherwise afford them.

One of the young volunteers, Anthony Pham, a rising eighth grader at St. Vincent de Paul School, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity of this experience. He shared that he “helped build a porch and some stairs, do some electrical work, and assisted with a bunch of other stuff.” He told Today’s Catholic, “I only had a little experience in this type of work previously, so I have learned a lot.” He added that the best parts of the week were “interacting with the homeowner and making new friends.”

Another student, Jesse Schortgen, who attends St. Louis Besancon, also helped build a porch. He said, “I never had any experience with this before, so I have learned a lot.” Sharing his appreciation for gaining hands-on skills, he said his favorite part was “getting to use the power tools” and learning new methods for how to build things. He emphasized, “I definitely want to continue to do service like this for others in the future!”

On the final morning of the week, the teams gathered to share about their experiences. Adults and teens alike offered their appreciation for one another.

The adult men were impressed to see the teens give up a week of their summer to serve others, and they expressed their gratitude to see the students jump right into the work projects and receive instructions well.

Jeremiah Otis, the program director at St. Vincent, commented on the value of this apprenticeship, telling Today’s Catholic: “The biggest thing I’ve seen this week is watching the leaders, the Carpenter’s Sons, and how they’ve invested in the students. It’s exciting to see students so passionate about serving and meeting needs in their community. … And just as exciting is the opportunity to make connections that cross generational boundaries and help connect us all on a human level! Plus, the youth get to learn carpentry skills at the same time!”

He continued: “I keep thinking about Tom Roundtree on Team 1. He so carefully and patiently stands there and explains things. He doesn’t do the work for them, but he explains it and shows them the tool and how it works, and then stands back, calmly and patiently letting them do it. He lets them mess up in safe ways and ask questions. And every single one of the teams has had the same wonderful experience of patience, care, and willingness to invest in the students.”

Lara Schreck, executive director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Fort Wayne, also praised the efforts of the Carpenter’s Sons.

“They meet every Tuesday throughout the year doing this type of work out in the community, helping neighbors,” Schreck told Today’s Catholic. “It is all volunteers, so it is heartwarming to see, and being able to connect the kids with them for this week is pretty special.”

She continued: “We get a lot of people, like the neighbors of those being served, who live down the street and see these efforts, and they are almost brought to tears to see somebody giving of their time to help.”

Schreck added that it has been very personally moving for her to work alongside these volunteers and see their labors of love.

Father Kevin Bauman, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Fort Wayne and the spiritual director to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Fort Wayne, also came on the final morning to speak with the young people and impart a blessing upon them before their last day of work. Father Bauman, having been a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society from his youth in South Bend, was able to share from personal experience about the value of the work they were offering to those in need and the impact of their Christ-like witness to others.

One of the people who received direct assistance was homeowner Debbie Bradfield. Sharing her appreciation for the adults, teens, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Bradfield mentioned that she had been looking for a contractor, but finances were very tight, and she was not sure what to do. She was told about the Carpenter’s Sons and, after connecting with them, learned that she could receive their assistance. Seeing their efforts on her home, she said, “I couldn’t believe the young people were new at this because they all worked together so well; they were awesome.”

Their labors provided her with blessings she previously thought wouldn’t be possible. Nearly at the verge of tears in gratitude, she concluded, “It hurts to talk about this because the experience of it all was so moving!”

While the teen service experience was only for this week, additional Carpenter’s Sons efforts are ongoing, and more volunteers and projects are always welcome.

To learn more about the St. Vincent de Paul Society or to make a donation in support of their ministries, visit their website at svdpsfortwayne.org. If you are interested in volunteering with Carpenter’s Sons through St. Vincent de Paul Parish, visit saintv.org/carpenters-sons or contact Mark Schmidt at 260-414-6109 or [email protected].