Bringing together representatives from Knightlife, RKVC, NHS, PRO, Student Council, and Link Crew, BSM’s Student Leadership Forum––sometimes called SLF––acts as a collaboration of various clubs and takes on service projects in and around the school community. With the use of their “Compassion Kits,” the Student Leadership Forum’s current project centers around promoting homelessness awareness, along with displaying the realities of poverty in our local cities.
Though SLF was not initially formed with the goal of service at the core, Mr. Zach Zeckser had a vision to add this special component. “It was first dreamed up as a club to help clubs, and then I added the idea that we use it to promote servant-leadership,” said Mr. Zeckser. As proof of this servant-leadership mentality, the Student Leadership Forum recently launched “Compassion Kits” as their latest service activity.
Sold during lunch periods throughout the second week of March, SLF’s “Compassion Kits” aim to educate the student body on the realities of homelessness and poverty in our state. “The Compassion Kits come from an idea I heard from some campus ministry friends at Academy of Holy Angels. We are putting two bus tokens, a list of homelessness resources, a prayer, a Clif bar, a granola bar, a Chapstick, and some hand/foot warmers in plastic freezer bags,” said Mr. Zeckser.
The idea is for students to buy these kits for $3, keep them in their vehicles and offer them to any person in need that they encounter. “We thought it would give the BSM community a prudent and positive way to show compassion for people who deal with homelessness in Minnesota,” said Mr. Zeckser. The “Compassion Kits,” although emphasized for only a week, can be used any time to provide service and care in encounters with homelessness.
Though the “Compassion Kits” have yet to take off, many students believe the idea behind them is very thoughtful and would like to see the sale last longer than a week. “I’ve only sold about 8 kits during A lunch, but a lot of people come up to the table out of pure curiosity. A lot of students think we should extend the sale throughout the year,” said junior Afua Paintsil, an active member in the Student Leadership Forum.
