Outreach
Our Outreach program happens every summer. Our trips go to Olive Hill, Kentucky; Disaster Relief in various locations; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; New Orleans; Detroit; Louisiana; Boston Soup Kitchens; NH Outward Bound up Mt.Washington. Qualified CYO members must apply and be chosen for a trip.
Committee Heads
TBD in September
If you have any questions, contact the Outreach Committee directly by sending them an email at : stgerardoutreach@gmail.com .
Outreach 2026 Video
To be posted shortly
Testimonials
"...I saw God consistently in the staff of the St Francis Inn. They showed up each day with a smile on their face and a love for what they do. Our guests wouldn’t have a meal everyday and crates and crates of handouts if it wasn’t for the staff. Through their teachings and knowledge, I created a closer bond with the guests we were serving each day. The staff truly inspired me to slow down during the meal times, take a breath, and ask more questions to the guests instead of what would you like to eat. And during those moments, those simple conversations about which sports team they prefer or what current book they are reading, I saw God show up everyday with the guests. The guests are just like me, they have good days, bad days, and all of the other moments in between. The ones that lifted their heads, smiled, laughed, and joked with me are what I will remember as I head into my senior year and become caught up in the craziness of life. However, this trip taught me to slow down and think..."
-Cam Mullin
Junior
"I saw God in many ways during my week in Kentucky. Before this trip my relationship with God was falling off track, but now I feel like our relationship is stronger than ever. I first saw God through the love of the Clark’s, which is the family we spent the most time helping. Amber and Mackenzie’s parents aren’t in the best position to raise their kids, and the kids would rather live with their grandparents. Most people would say there is a weak sense of love, I would however say that their love is stronger. Despite the struggles the Clark’s face, the kids are receiving a normal childhood. Their grandfather made them boxes which he uniquely designed for each of them to do whatever they saw fit with them, as well as their grandmother put recipes on the fridge for desserts.
One night Mike told us that the grandparents are sharing a couch to sleep on, the next day I took a closer look at the couch and saw that it was just big enough for two people to sit down on. They did this so each of the kids can get their own room. This shows a true sacrifice, a sacrifice that isn’t for personal benefit but for the soul purpose of love. I once heard a pastor say that love isn’t a feeling in your body, but it is giving your strength to somebody who needs it. While it isn’t exactly strength that the grandparents were giving I still believe their actions follow that saying.
I also saw God through hope and trust. One thing I noticed when I first arrived in Olive Hill is that about half the stores are empty and abandoned. The community also has hope and trust within themselves that their town will eventually be in a better shape.
The people we help in Olive Hill and Grayson, Kentucky hope that people will save their homes and they trust a bunch of
high school and college kids to help repair their homes to improve their lives. I also saw hope and trust within our group, hoping that we can help these people and trusting each other to do so. I believe our program also inspires hope in the Olive Hill and Grayson community as they know a group of students will come to help their lives. Overall I saw God in many ways through love, hope, and, trust within the people from Olive Hill and Grayson to within us and our program."
-Sean Sullivan
Junior
"Where, on this trip, did I see God? That was the question posed, but I like to flip the prompt on its head. It’s not where did I see God on this trip, rather the question is really, Where didn’t I see God? I saw God in full force in each and every aspect of it. The nature around us immediately comes to mind. God is the creator of this precious and beautiful earth and it was certainly on full display. There aren’t many other places where you have the vast and immense view like up in the Presidential Mountain Range. And you are especially reminded of the power God holds when facing 60 mph winds threatening to blow you away and you are forced to question why he would do such a thing. But you realize it's all in the name of pushing yourselves, and showing yourself, firsthand, that you can weather the storm. No matter the hardship, we can get through it together. Togetherness is another vital piece of this trip. The bonding of a group so unique is something truly special. It is undeniable that we connected with one another in such a way unimaginable to those who weren’t there to experience the magic happen with us. The magic also happens in the kitchen. We may have been away from church for the week, but God made sure we still got to taste the Bread of Life. On this trip, you find God in yourself, the others accompanying you, the strangers you meet along the way, the nature, and each and every morsel of life in between."
-Shane Kelleher
Senior
"... Before leaving I said a prayer to God asking for the courage to not think about my constant worries and get out of my comfort zone. Still I was not confident in how to feel about this trip, and truth be told I was nervous about coming to a new place with unfamiliar people and leaving my family and friends behind. I have a lot of anxieties about being in a new area, sleeping in a bed thats not my own and especially doing all of this new Work with people I didn’t know before. And even being a journal leader I
was uncertain how to lead and talk to those I had not yet formed a relationship with. Throughout each day those uncertain feelings and scares went away and thats when I started to see God and hope on this trip. I truly believe that being around people who also share the same beliefs as you, is extremely special and reminds me that we are all children of God and all answered his call to serve. God gave me the strength this week to do something really special and meaningful for people less fortunate than myself, and those people may be second guessing their relationship with God. Now after coming home, I have learned this new perspective that even in times of hardship God is always with you and brings hope along the way because without hope what else is left?"
-Tabitha McCready
Junior
Archives -
When asked where I saw God, I don’t think I could tell you exactly where and when. God was everywhere on this trip for me because God is hope. And hope is the only way I can describe these small towns of Kentucky.
These people living in dangerous home conditions or pay check to pay check have the most hope I have ever seen. They have a lot of land, family and a little food. If you think that is nothing, you are not alone. Because for us, there’s TVs, close and good schools, access to restaurants, lots of clothes and more, yet we still want more. That is the biggest thing I am taking away. The happiest of people I got to meet here had mere nothing to us, but more than enough to them. When they could quit on themselves like the rest of the world is doing to these dying towns, they remained humble and hopeful.
Ershel was a man who had hit hardship after hardship, was low on money and still put his precious pennies into the campground club he belonged to because he hoped his pennies would benefit them.
The two kids we met in subway spending a gorgeous summer day there so their mom could work and provide for them had hope that we would buy them a $0.50 cookie and play with them for a while. They were so content with what they had because they know nothing more. As sad as it sounds, I envy them for their pure oblivion to this world and all the bad in it.
Tom-Tom, a 19-year-old with autism who could barely speak, had his junk yard and showed me how he "fixes" his cars then offered me a ride. Silly as it sounds, that was a highlight of my trip because little did Tom-Tom know his 16-year-old sister was getting bullied at school for being overweight and his family was struggling to pay the bills. He and his family had so much going on, yet he offered to do something for me.
And Yula, Clark and Mona, the happiest kids you would ever meet. They were living with their dad in a small home and covered in bug bites. When we gave them gifts, Clark asked if it was his birthday. To think that he had no idea why we gave him anything or did what we did gives me hope that this world isn’t too bad.
And meeting two sisters, one who cared for her mother to her last breath, inherited her land where she now lives, and took in her sister when her sisters husband passed even on her fixed income barely keeping her afloat since she no longer got financial help from her son who died unexpectedly. Her pride and optimism gives me hope that we all can have positivity in dark times.
Finally, Mike has been reminding us that we didn’t leave Canton to rough it but to smooth things out. Our life and our versions of rough are nothing compared to the rough we attempted to smooth out in Kentucky. Yet being there was the best thing that has happened because I got to live in the oblivion that the kids we met along those trip do for just 5 days. I got to play catch with a football, play quackadilly oh my, play on the playground and play chicken fights while night swimming. I had the chance to be a normal kid for 5 days without social media, my phone or anxiety. That for me is hope.
That is where I saw God. In the moments of pure ignorance and bliss in the little town of Olive Hill, Kentucky.
-Kayley Furbush
Sophomore
For the past week I have been in Madisonville and Dawson Springs Kentucky on Disaster relief helping out an area that had been completely destroyed from a tornado. Outreach is a program for helping others, and we did a lot of that. Every day we woke up knowing that 2 to 3 job sites needed our help, we did debris removal, demoing bathroom tiles and ceilings, and yard work.
On the first day we were doing debris cleanup for two houses whose owners had passed away during the tornado and because of the intense heat and humidity the group's energy and excitement was pretty low, however during our lunch we met John Baylock, a homeowner a few houses away. He talked to us about the tornado and what stood out to me and most of the group was how selfless he was. In the pouring rain he came out of his basement to find his house damaged but instead of worrying about his house or embracing the tragedy of losing all his belongings he went up and down the street turning off the gas of the homes in case someone lit a cigarette and the whole neighborhood went on fire afterwards. He had his wife and a neighbor take shelter at the bank which was untouched and he drove neighbor after neighbor there for safety as many people were standing in the remains of what was once their home. He told us how god’s hands were over his family during the tornado helping them so it was his turn to help others. John is somebody who embodies what outreach is all about, being the change, you wish to see in the world. Hearing John Baylock talking about the tragedy that happened and his actions made the work we were doing personal.
Once we returned to the job site the energy of the group did a 180 as everyone was eager to help and push through the heat. The reason the group's energy changed was because now we felt we had a purpose to the debris we were removing; John's story gave us a connection to what we were doing and even though a lot of what we did was trash cleanup we didn't see it as trash. We were cleaning up people’s childhoods, memories and lives. We were working towards getting families back into their home because as glamorous as picking up trash and debris sounds, someone had to do it in order to help these families start their lives again. As much as we helped the people of Madisonville and Dawson Springs, we also helped ourselves. Going to a place where most people are living below the poverty line and living to survive made me realize the bubble we live in here in Canton. I realized how much I take for granted because I said throughout the trip that I couldn't imagine this happening to my house and when I had to pick up a broken door frame that had a height chart exactly like the one my family have for as long as I've been alive it made me start to cry. I cried on the jobsite because seeing a family's height chart exactly like my own made me realize this could've been my family and that I was throwing out a piece of someone's life.
The week I spent on this trip really changed me, I was surrounded by some of the most loving and supportive people I’ve ever met and one thing I saw was everyone made each other feel valued. Each person on Disaster Relief was there because they wanted to be, the kindness, love, and change is what we need in the world. Madisonville Kentucky will forever have a piece of my heart as I left behind the bubble, I once couldn't imagine life outside of and gained so much love and support from everyone I spent the week with. I honestly believe the world needs more people like the ones on Disaster relief and they are the change we really need in this world.
-Abby Brogan
Junior
Olive Hill is a land of pride. The people are proud of where they live, their occupations, and their families. No one embodied what it meant to have pride more than shorty. Shorty was always willing to help us rough up some houses and bring them back to life, but his demeanor and wisdom is where I discovered what it means to be proud.
On a car ride with mike this week, he shared with me a story about shorty and Judy years ago. Shortie and Judy we’re on their way to Grayson when shorties car started to sputter and break down. Judie turned to him and said, “the car sounds terrible. Do you think we’re going to make it?” Shorty calmly turned to her and said “we’re always going to make it.”
This past week in Olive Hill, I learned the true power of hope. I worked on Brittany’s trailer which was in rough condition, and I first believed that Brittany needed a new floor. I later realized that Brittany did not really need a new floor. She could get by without it. But what she needed was us. She needed a sign that her life will get better, and our presence provided her with hope. We showed her that she’s not alone, and she showed us that she’s going to fight to improve her life. Both Brittany and Shorty taught me that no matter how rough things are, there is always a way to smooth out the bumps. Anything can be accomplished when you have pride and hope for the future. So shortie was right: we are always going to make it.
-Pat Morrissey
Junior Advisor
