As a member of the Ohio City Neighborhood, the Saint Ignatius High School community is committed to one simple and positive action: building relationships. By getting to know the neighborhood residents, Saint Ignatius students’ life experiences are enriched through meeting people from many different backgrounds. One service initiative in particular that helps create such relationships is the Saint Bernard Movers. One of more than 20 initiatives of the Christian Action Team (CAT), Saint Bernard Movers assist neighbors, friends of the Labre Ministry to the Homeless in transition, and others identified through partnership agencies by coordinating pick ups and drop offs of donated furniture and other items. Working with the Migration and Refugee Services, the May Dugan Center, and CARE Alliance are all ways the Movers help to meet some of the needs of people in this area.  In addition, listening to and hearing stories from others has been instrumental in opening the hearts and minds of the Saint Ignatius student-volunteer.

Scott King, a Saint Ignatius High School senior, shares his experience with the Saint Bernard Movers:

I have been a member of the Saint Bernard Movers Ministry since the spring of last year. A few weeks ago, I had a profound experience while participating in a move. An elderly couple, Cheryl and her husband, were moving from their apartment in Tremont to a new house in Cleveland.

Now Cheryl was a hoarder, and her disease caused them to live in disturbing conditions. Prepared with gloves, we carefully made a pathway and began moving trash bags and boxes full of crafts and things that others may have designated as ‘trash.’  Their apartment was crowded, to say the least. The conditions caused us to move their treasured belongings quickly in order to just ‘get the move over with.’ Upon arrival at their new home, we once again quickly put all their things into the house, which already began filling up with trash bags and boxes.

One week later, we returned to their new place in order to move in some donated furniture. To my surprise, most of the trash bags and boxes in the house the previous week were gone. Cheryl seemed to be much happier and excited for a fresh start. It appeared that their new life together was about to begin with a clean slate.

It was at this moment, seeing the joy in her face, that it occurred to me what Saint Bernard  Movers is all about. Saint Bernard is the namesake of this CAT program since he is the patron saint of ‘New Beginnings.’ It is moves like this that makes Movers such a rewarding and humbling experience week-in and week-out. To be a part of someone’s fresh start and ‘New Beginning’ is the reward that brings me back to this program every Monday.