More than 16,000 youth, families and faithful were reminded of their God-given dignity at the SEEK26 conference, hosted by FOCUS. That dignity extends beyond the walls of the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Catholic Social Services (CSS), which serves senior, homeless and disabled individuals across the 23-county Diocese of Columbus, gathered attendees at SEEK26 to serve their brothers and sisters unable to attend – and afford a place to live.
CSS hosted a “pack event,” the first of its kind at SEEK. The service project was held Saturday, Jan. 3, the third day of the annual conference that runs from Jan. 1 to 5 this year in Columbus with additional locations in Denver and Fort Worth, Texas.
“Putting together kits for the homeless is what this is for,” Julie Naporano, vice president of development and communications at CSS, said of the event, “things that the homeless population will need, letting them know that they’re seen.
“We love them; we care for them – without judgment. It’s part of our calling as Catholics to help one another.”
Participants – youth, clergy, children and adults – lined the airwall of the convention center, waiting their turn to assemble a kit. Collectively, participating SEEK attendees packed several thousand plastic bags full of items for those in most need.
The event, named Faith in Action, enabled faithful to take what they received spiritually in the conference’s keynotes, impact sessions and workshops and put it to good use.
“We’re all called to serve one another, and so, that is what faith in action is doing: ‘How can I help? How can I do something?’” Naporano explained.
“This is one piece of it. This is something that everyone can do.”
The pack event, which lasted approximately three hours, drew a significant crowd. In assembly-line style, volunteers compiled kits with socks, Chapstick, granola bars, hygiene items and other basic necessities.
“The thousands of people that have already registered to be a part of this project speaks loudly that people want to help,” Naporano said. “Part of our role, as well, at Catholic Social Services is to show people how and what they can do, and what are the needs.
“Our president and CEO, Kelley Henderson, will be talking to the people that are doing this event about how to approach a homeless person and respecting their space because you’re entering into their home. To us, it might be a park bench. To them, it’s their home.”
Participants at the event could keep a kit to personally give to a homeless individual.
After the Faith in Action service project, cart-loads of kits were taken to be given to diocesan parishes, empowering parishioners to help their homeless brothers and sisters by distributing the kits.
Andrew Baugham, 25, a Dayton native and second-year FOCUS missionary at Howard University in Washington, participated in the event. SEEK26, he noted, was his fifth SEEK conference but the first with a service project of such a kind.
Baugham was pleased with the opportunity to make faith a living reality.
“I think there’s a temptation to have a super high spiritual-minded, float-in-the-heavens type of spirituality, when I think real love is the type of spirituality that floats in the heavens and then comes down to earth,” he said.
“I got a lot of guys over here from Howard … helping out with the service, and so, that’s why I came to do it. It’s just what we ought to do.”
Diana Pagán, director of community engagement at CSS, interacted with several participants.
“It has been a humbling experience to see so many different people from all walks of life and all cultures and people,” she reflected. “I’ve even spoken to some brothers from Germany who have come together to make these ‘hope kits’ to support our homeless community.”
Duke University students Dominick Angelone, 19, and Ernest Binfon Jr., 19, also participated in the pack event.
The two students who study at the university in Durham, North Carolina, were eager to put their faith to work.
“(Speaker) Jeff Cavins was talking about being Catholic isn’t just about buying the book and reading the things and believing the facts. It’s not just about accepting and professing the faith. Part of professing the faith is actually acting on it, being charitable,” Angelone said.
“I think it was kind of perfect timing coming out of that (talk). Like, oh, look, here’s the chance to be charitable.”
“It’s just an amazing opportunity to be at SEEK and giving back,” Binfon Jr. added, “just giving to the community, serving others.”
