131 Sandwiches Made

Monday evening marked the highest total in a single sandwich making session for the LMC Sandwich Makers. After making a grand total of 131 sandwiches, we surpassed our previous high of approximately 125 sandwiches on a single night. Our members were excited to hit this new milestone and even more importantly to get some new volunteers into the mix. We appreciate the hard work of our students and most of all their care for the needy in Syracuse.

BOND serves at Sandwich Making

The Le Moyne College organization B.O.N.D (Brothers Of New Direction) teamed up with the LMC Sandwich makers last evening to make 108 sandwiches for the needy of Syracuse. It was a great opportunity for the two groups to come together, learn about each others club, and do a service project in the Dolphin Den. The energy and enthusiasm of the B.O.N.D members was fantastic and they really enjoyed helping. Altogether there were over 30 volunteers who came out to make and support the effort. This is a testament to the caring attitude of Le Moyne students who often rise to the occasion to collaborate and support a noble cause. The Jesuit ideals of Le Moyne are clearly visible when it comes to student groups making a difference on campus and within the Syracuse community. A special thanks to the B.O.N.D members and all of our volunteers for continuing to make LMC Sandwich makers a success week after week.

Another Year of LMC Sandwich Makers

Thanks to the generous dedication of our volunteers and coordinator Anil Da Costa we are up and running again this semester, having made 175 sandwiches in two sessions. This marks yet another year of the LMC Sandwich makers, now under the umbrella of Ignatian Ignite! We are happy and proud to be servicing the Samaritan Center Soup Kitchen in Syracuse for a fourth year with our bag lunch program. So far we have had a decent turn out with our new schedule of Monday and Thursday evenings at 9pm in the Dolphin Den. All are welcome to come and join in to serve our brothers and sisters through sandwich making. Keep up the good work gang and "sandwich" on!

Thanks for a Great Year of Service

Today marks the end to what was a great year of LMC Sandwich makers. We made over 2,400 sandwiches this semester and approximately 5,000 for the School Year. Tonight we were fortunate enough to attend the annual Samaritan Center Awards and Charity Fundraiser dinner at the Double Tree Hotel. This event is an outstanding way to raise funds and awareness about the great service that the Samaritan Center does for members of the Syracuse Community. Certainly, it was a most enjoyable occasion and a great way to finish out a job well done. On behalf of the LMC crew I wanted to extend my thank you to all of those who helped us make this year such a success!

In addition, it is important to recognize our own who did so well and achieved greatness this year. Anil Da Costa, the current organizer and president of the group, was recently honored at the Dolphin Choice Awards for the service program of the year. Le Moyne students voted and selected LMC Sandwich Makers as the best service program! Also, Andrew Lunetta the founder of our group was also recognized for his service in the greater Syracuse area!

Well, we all hope that you enjoy your summer and that you are ready to "rock n roll" to make more sandwiches and do more service under our new Student Organization entitled Ignatian Ignite in the fall. Peace and God bless you for your commitment to service.

Serving During Lent

During this time as we prepare for Easter let us take a few moments at the end of our days to reflect upon the opportunities that we have had to serve. Certainly, as college students and being able to have the time and ability to give back means that we are blessed in our own lives in a tremendous way. God has called each of us to serve his people through our collective ministry of sandwich making where we come together around the table and break bread in an effort to provide food for the hungry. Some might view our work as "just making sandwiches," however what we are doing when looked upon through a different lens is actually even more! Serving by means of making sandwiches is an act of love and during this time of Lent we are called to share in the Cross and respond to carrying that heavy load. I am sure that each of us has our own burdens our own crosses that we bare daily. Jesus carried the cross, but he did not do it alone! Simon of Cyrene saw the struggling Christ exhausted, beaten down, and on the brink of death while he was on the road to crucifixion at Golgatha. That is right, Jesus needed help carrying the Cross and in that we have a great lesson of service. By serving others through our efforts of sandwich making we help our fellow brothers and sisters of Syracuse to carry their cross, the cross of hunger. Whether we are making the sandwiches, serving at the Samaritan Center, volunteering at the Oxford Street Inn, or giving back in another way, we have the power and ability to make an impact. The cross unfortunately will continue to be present in our world as a result of greed, selfishness, pride, and a lack of love. Therefore, it is up to people like us, the LMC Sandwich makers to serve and provide hope through the bread (food) we provide each week. I urge each of you to think more about the ministry that you take part in, to also think where in my life do I see the face of God each day, and what other places am I being called to serve. After all Jesus did make it to the place of the skull thanks to the help of Simon of Cyrene, he was crucified and did die. Yet, Easter was the third day where he resurrected and this gives us hope for our lives. Let us try to be a beacon of light and of hope for our fellow brothers and sisters. Keep on serving and know that you are the face of God for others every day!

Serving Throughout our Lifetime

Recently, it has been great having some new faces at sandwiches. It is always nice to get some new members of the Le Moyne community involved in service. Over the past few weeks we have been blessed with the presence of a number of different volunteers. This evening it was a privilege to be able to work with Andrew's Grandpa, Bob. Making the PB&J sandwiches with Grandpa Bob was a real treat and having him around our group was great! Bob, who is in his later 70s provided some good humor and stories to the group which made many of us laugh. Making sandwiches with Bob reminded me of the importance of serving others throughout the course of our lives. As I observed this older man spread the Jelly on the wheat bread I could tell that he really cared about what he was doing. Knowing Andrew and the family that he comes from, I realize that Bob has done a good amount of volunteering of his own throughout his lifetime. Even though he is older now, Bob continues to plug along and to give back. Reflecting upon what I witnessed with Grandpa Bob at sandwiches spoke loudly to me that service is an ongoing and life long human responsibility. As members of the human community, I believe that it is our responsibility to help others, serve, and provide our gifts and talents to better the lives of others in our world. Just as Jesus did not stop serving and giving of himself even to the point of death and the cross, so we must be devoted on a daily basis, week by week, and year by year toward giving what we can back. Service is something that is continuous and the job will never be finished. As a result of the injustices such as poverty, war, oppression, and other negative factors that plague our world, we must continue to work day by day together to make a difference. Bob showed me this example in his efforts tonight, as I hope that when I am in my later years in life that I can look back and know that I have made a conscious and consistent effort to reach out to those in need and provide a helping hand. It is never too late to start volunteering and service. Therefore, I urge our sandwich makers and fellow volunteers to continue to keep up the good work, be grateful for all that we do have, and know that to those which more has been given, more is expected in return. May God bless you and may you continue to show your compassion toward your fellow man. Thank you for serving!

Eclipsing the 10,000 Sanwiches Made Mark

It is important to recognize and congratulate our group on eclipsing the 10,000 sandwiches made mark over the past two and a half years. As a result of the hard work and determination of the Le Moyne College sandwich makers, we have proudly been able to make 10,095 Sandwiches between the fall of 2009 and the present date. All of these sandwiches have been enjoyed by the guests at the Samaritan Center over the past years. It is truly amazing to see how an idea thought of by our very own Andrew Lunetta, has been able to transform the lives of those we serve and those who are taking part in the serving. LMC Sandwich makers has feed hundreds of mouths and has allowed many students to take part in the Jesuit Mission of Serving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It is evident that we have made a difference thus far and will continue to do so in the future. On behalf of our group I would like to extend our appreciation of all of the hours of service at the table together making the sandwiches, as well as the diligence of Anil and Andrew who have worked together to coordinate this great service project over the past years. It is my hope and the hope of our group that LMC Sandwich makers is only scratching the surface and that someday after generations of service, the sandwich making which began in the confines of Nelligan Hall will have been continued here in Syracuse and hopefully will have spread as an initiative to new avenues. Ghandi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Through this ministry of providing a meal, LMC Sandwich makers has helped to be a change in the local Syracuse community in order to provide a bag lunch service to the needy on a regular basis. Therefore, let us continue the good work together and know that through helping hands we all can make an impact in our communities by giving of our talents and time. God bless you and may you have a wonderful spring break to come back to the mustard, mayo, bread, lettuce, cheese, ham, turkey, and PBJ which we call LMC Sandwich makers!