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Service Opportunities for High School Youth
In addition to these recurring opportunities, we often offer other service events throughout the year. Please pay close attention to your email and our Instagram page to learn about upcoming opportunities!Our parish community here at St. Thomas More also has many, many ministries and groups that young people are welcome and encouraged to volunteer with. Whether you are passionate about art, serving the poor, or combating climate change, there is a service group in our community that could use your help. Check out our complete Ministry Directory to find something that interests you!
Service Hours Form: English (PDF)_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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ST. THOMAS MORE PARISH MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES
Library Service Opportunities
The Young families group is looking for teens to help with storytime! Read a book, lead a craft, or teach a children's song!
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Read one ot the books in the parish library and then write a review for the bulletin. Earn up to 4 service hours for confirmation preparation!
Contact Emily at [email protected] to help you connect with the library team___________________________________________________________________________
Parish Beautification Day - April 12, 2025
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Join us on Saturday April 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. at St. Thomas More and help make our campus beautiful. We will be planting seasonal flowers in different areas, mulching and weeding as well. Enjoy the cool fall air and lunch with parishioners and friends.
Contact the parish office at 942-1040 or email [email protected]VBS Youth Helper - June 23 - 27, 2025 (15 service hours total!)
Each year high school students assist with Vacation Bible School! Youth who would like to volunteer for service hours must be able to commit to the whole week and actively engage with kids! (If you sit on your phone all week, you will not receive service hours.)
Contact Julie Hall at [email protected] for more info
___________________________________________________________________________Easter Vigil Reception Helper - April 19, 2025 (around 11pm)
Help with clean-up during the Easter Vigil ReceptionEmail: Karen Lewis at [email protected] for more information and to sign-up
___________________________________________________________________________Holy Week Decorating - April 12-20, 2025
Help the Arts & Environment Committee decorate the church.Sign-up to help here: VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP
___________________________________________________________________________Knights of Columbus Lenten Fish Fry Help - LENT 2025
Help the Knights of Columbus to bus tables and wipe dry the dishes, cups and silverware as they come out of the dishwasher. As a bonus you'll get all of the hushpuppies you can eat.
Sign-up to help here: VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP
___________________________________________________________________________Elementary First Reconciliation Craft - January 19
Help elementary school students make a sheep craft of January 19 between 10:30am-1:00pm in Friends and Family Hall.
Sign-up for a shift here: VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP
___________________________________________________________________________STM Christmas Decorating - December
Calling all Youth Helpers! The Arts and Environment Committee is in need of volunteer help with decorating the church for Christmas! Help to decorate trees, place poinsettias, fluff garland, etc.Sign-up for a shift here: VOLUNTEER SIGN UP
___________________________________________________________________________STM Holiday Shoppe - December 7, 2024
Donations for the Bake Sale or Raffle count as 1 service hour. All other activities are based on hours worked.
Calling all Youth Helpers! We are in need of volunteer help with unloading vendor cars, greeting shoppers, raffle baskets/table attendants, bake sale/coffee attendants and clean up! We also have slots available to contribute to the bake sale. Anyone may sign up for bake sale items! Please make sure all bake sale items are individually wrapped. Bake sale items may be dropped off to the LSH during school on Friday or to the Friends and Family Hall Sat morning, see slots below. To be an ADULT volunteer at the event, you must be SET trained and certified. We also have slots available for youth volunteers in need of service hours.Sign-up for a shift here: HOLIDAY SHOPPE VOLUNTEER SIGN UP
___________________________________________________________________________Mass and Meal Music Team (6 service hours total)
If you like to sing or play an instrument, consider joining the Mass and Meal Music Team! Instrumentalists can play on every song or just a few. Singers may be invited to cantor, or they may just sing as part of the choir.
You must attend rehearsals and Mass. This opportunity is offered twice a year.
Contact: Emily Kremer at [email protected]
___________________________________________________________________________Advent Reflections - Due by 11/15/2024 (1 hour of service)
Write a reflection (250 words or less) on one of the daily Advent readings. Sign-up and find the guidelines at the link below.Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F4AADAB28A5F58-45421737-advent#/
Contact: Molly Jenkins at [email protected]
___________________________________________________________________________International Fair - October 26, 2024
Host a table at the International Fair! We would love to have youth representation to share about a teenage Saint. Come teach others about a Saint you love!Contact: Deacon Luis Royo at [email protected]
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STM Hallowfest - October 25, 2024
Calling all Youth Helpers! We need youth helpers to volunteer at St. Thomas More Catholic School's Carnival "Hallowfest" on Friday, October 25th. Slots run from 4:45-10 pm that evening. We need volunteers to help with rides, games, the Witches' Cottage Haunted House and the sale of food concessions. There are slots for all 5 hours or in 2 hour shifts. When you arrive to work at Hallowfest, check in at the Volunteer Table for your assigned spot to work. If you want to be paired with someone, please put that in the comments. We cannot guarantee this will happen, but we will try. Thank you for volunteering!
Sign-up for a shift here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080D4EA8AA29A57-51827716-2024#/
___________________________________________________________________________Parish Pride Day - October 12, 2024
Join us on Saturday October 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. at St. Thomas More and help make our campus beautiful. We will be planting seasonal flowers in different areas, mulching and weeding as well. Enjoy the cool fall air and lunch with parishioners and friends.Contact the parish office at 942-1040
Día de Orgullo Parroquial. Acompáñenos el sábado 12 de octubre de 9 am a 12 m en St. Thomas More y ayude a hacer hermoso nuestro campus. Estaremos sembrando flores, desmalezando y mulcheando también. Disfrute del aire fresco de otoño y el almuerzo con los miembros de la parroquia y amigos. Si desea unirse a nosotros, llame a la oficina parroquial al 942-1040
___________________________________________________________________________Elementary Faith Development Youth Helpers (Up to 22 service hours, 1 hour per Sunday)
This is an ongoing commitment to assist with the teachers during Sunday morning EFD. Youth must commit to assisting almost every Sunday meeting date for the rest of the year.Contact Julie Hall at [email protected] for more info
___________________________________________________________________________San Isidro Labrador Community Garden at St. Thomas More
Youth are invited to help tend our STM community garden with our San Isidro ministry! No gardening experience is necessary.Contact Bob Weickert at [email protected] for more information and to schedule volunteer hours.
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Caring and Sharing Center
Youth are welcome to assist guests during regular hours and/or assist on scheduled sorting days after hours. Youth younger than 17 years old must come with an adult.Contact Claudina Loh at [email protected] for more information and to schedule volunteer hours.
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Watering Indoor Plants
Youth are needed to help water plants in the church, narthex, and parish center for 15-20 minutes per week, one day a week, flexible time.Contact Mary Doerflein at [email protected] for more information.
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ST. THOMAS MORE LITURGICAL MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIESLectoring (1 hour each week you lector)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The lector ministry would love to have some more young lectors. Youth are welcome to come to a new lector training. Usually youth can lector for at least a year before they head off to college.
Contact Jim Boyd at [email protected] for information.
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Live-Streaming Help for Mass
If you're interested in tec, this is a great service opportunity for you! Participate in training to learn the ins and outs of our parish live-stream and then volunteer a few times a month to run the feed. Volunteers must be reliable, responsible, posses a basic understanding of computers, and be willing to volunteer a minimum of 5 times.
Contact Sergio Escobar at [email protected] to determine if this ministry is the right fit for you!
Youth Choir
The youth choir is a vocal choir open to grades 2-12, through which you will receive the opportunity to learn proper vocal technique, basic music reading skills, and prepare songs to present as musical leaders at selected 5:15 pm Saturday and Feast Day Masses. Practice is once a week: Saturdays, 4-4:45 PM. This is an ongoing volunteer commitment and not just a one-time thing!
Contact Olivia Gilbert [email protected] for more information
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Music Ministry Cantors & Instrumentalists
Singers interested in encouraging and leading the congregation to sing at Mass are welcome to become cantors. Training and rehearsals will be necessary. Singers should be vocally proficient with some level of singing experience. The ability to read music is strongly recommended. Instrumentalists with at least three years of experience on their instrument and the ability to read music are welcome to inquire about playing at Mass. Rehearsals will be necessary.
Contact the Interim Dir. of Music Ministry, Joan Troy at [email protected]
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Usher Ministry (1 hour each week you usher)
Ushers help during Sunday/Saturday evening Masses to assist folks with finding seats, passing the baskets during the collection, etc. While youth can decide what days they'd like to volunteer, this is an ongoing volunteer commitment and not just a one-time thing!
Complete the "Contact Us" form here and use the comments section to indicate your interest in the usher ministry
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Sunday Mass Preparation Assistant (1 hour each week you assist)
Youth are needed to help change the numbers on the hymnal display, move choir chairs and stands in the choir area, organize pews, etc. Youth would arrive 15-30 minutes before Mass, attend Mass, and then stay 15-30 minutes after Mass. While youth can decide what days they'd like to volunteer, this is an ongoing volunteer commitment and not just a one-time thing!
Contact the Interim Dir. of Music Ministry, Joan Troy at [email protected] for more information and to schedule Mass time where you can assist.
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COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Homestart
Homestart is the women and children's shelter on Homestead Road. Our parish, along with other churches, provides dinners for the women each week. We are always in need of additional help. Youth can help by: thinking up a menu, shopping for ingredients, paying for the ingredients, making the dinner (at their house or the shelter), and deliver the dinner to the shelter. They would receive hours for all of the work, and it normally totals at least 5 -6 hours per dinner. Youth are encouraged to work in pairs or groups for this project.Contact Cindy Hynes at [email protected] for more information. She will help work with the youth's schedule as well.
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PORCH "Double Baggers"
The PORCH organizers need help every third Sunday of the month, from 8pm-9pm, to help double-bag and to help set up for the Monday morning food sort. Those in need of service hours are more than welcome to help out. For those youth interested in participating in service hours with Porch, all activities are currently being held at Extraordinary Ventures on Elliott Rd, due to Covid. A sign up genius is used to fill the needed slots.Contact Carol Lucas at [email protected] to receive the emails that send the link for the sign up
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VolunteerMatch.org
Volunteer Match connects people to nonprofit organizations in need of assistance. Please note that this is simply a resource for seeking out volunteer opportunities and St. Thomas More is not affiliated with volunteer match or the nonprofits it advertises. It is up to you (the high school student) to determine if a nonprofit organization is the right volunteer opportunity for you. For opportunities in the Chapel Hill/Durham area, click here.
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Diaper Bank of North Carolina
DBNC continues to see an increase in demand for our services across the state. In order to keep up with these requests, we NEED volunteers at our warehouses to help prepare items for distribution! Come join our mission and make an impact! #DiaperOnNC. Sign up for a shift here
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YOUTH MINISTRY SPONSORED SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Translation Assistance
If you are able to read and write in both english and spanish, consider assisting our youth ministry program with some translations! We are always looking for help making information more accessible to our youth ministry parents. Translations could be completed on your own time within a weeks time. The ability to meet deadlines and follow through on commitments is extremely important for this volunteer opportunity, as failure to complete translations could result in members of our community not recieving the important information that they need.
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Youth House Maintenance
Grab a few of your friends and help us keep our Youth House clean and usable! For those who are interested in getting a few more Confirmation Service Hours, this will be the perfect job! Put on some music and clean, clean, clean. Please note: You must have two SET (Safe Environment Trained) adults over the age of 25 to accompany you for this project.
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Youth Ministry Spotify Playlist (1 service hour)
Help serve our community by creating a Spotify playlist for use at youth ministry events! The playlist must have at least 2.5 hours of music on it and all songs must be youth-ministry appropriate (no cuss words, sexual themes, or drug references).
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FOR IGNITE MEMBERS ONLY (youth who have already been Confirmed)
OCIA-C
We need youth as sponsors for kids in the OCIA-C program. There are several important aspects of this ministry. (1) It will be a two year commitment, (2) Hispanic youth are encouraged to become sponsors, as many of our catechumens are Hispanic, (3) the youth need to be Confirmed.Contact Julie Hall at [email protected] for more info
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Extraordinary (Eucharistic) Minister Training
Confirmed teens interested in becoming EMs are invited to training sessions scheduled a few times a year.Complete the "Contact Us" form here and use the comments section to indicate your interest in becoming an EM
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