"If we wish to serve God and love our neighbor well, we must manifest our joy in the service we render to Him and them"

- St. Katharine Drexel

Thank you for your continued patience while we discerned the structure of the Christian Service Award (CSA) program, including the method in which the program would safely and effectively be rolled out to our community as these challenging times continue.

However, after a year of hiatus for the program, we are pleased to announce that the program will be continuing in the calendar year 2022!

Please note that there will be changes in the current year, resulting from a need to respond to our faithful donors, our school needs, the volunteers that serve on our CSA Committee, and the changes to resources available to support the ongoing program. Below is a list of the changes being implemented:

• The foundation of the CSA program is rooted in honor of our patron saint, Saint Katharine Drexel. St. Katharine displayed an unwaning commitment to selfless service and did so in service to God, not because of the promise of reward or recognition for her services. With that in mind, we have changed the format from an application-based award program to a recognition-based award program. Elementary school personnel/representatives will be responsible for identifying students who:
  • Display a love and understanding of their Catholic faith;
  • articulate commitment to live a service-focused life rather than just performing acts of service;
  • demonstrate awareness that their gifts are a blessing from God; and who
  • provide persuasive evidence of their intelligence, maturity, humility, and leadership abilities.

Therefore, students will be invited by their elementary school personnel/representatives to apply for the award on an invitation-only basis. The Foundation’s team will reach out to each student who has been identified as deserving of this prestigious award.

• There will be no in-person interview during the current cycle.

• Student’s will be made aware of their invitation to apply by February 18th and will have until March 15th to complete their online application (the Foundation will directly reach out via email with the application link)

• Students who are in the ninth grade for the 21-22 school year, who were ineligible for the prior year due to the hiatus, will be eligible for CSA selection in the current 2022 year. The four-year award would be pro-rated for the remaining three years of high school

• The award value will now be $4,000, with $1,000 awarded annually to the recipient’s selected Catholic high school for as long as they remain enrolled.

• Students will be required to obtain recommendations upon their selection and notification to apply.

• 100-hour service hour minimum for all eligible students

• Continued tracking of service hours using the provided template

SERVICE HOUR TEMPLATE
QUALIFYING SERVICE GUIDELINES
Thank you for your support and patience through these difficult times. We are incredibly excited to continue the Christian Service Award program and recognize the extraordinary servants within our community! For questions, please contact your school for more information, or contact Ashley Hall, Programs & Event Coordinator, Catholic Community Foundation, at 480-651-8806 or ahall@ccfphx.org.