Service

Community service is an important part of the Catholic faith tradition and an important part of an STM Catholic education. The School encourages students to put their faith into action in accord with Catholic social teaching - respecting the sanctity of life and dignity of others, responding to the call to participate in the family and community, placing priority on the needs of the poor and the most vulnerable in society, building unity among people, and caring for God’s creation. In addition to opportunities for involvement through various parish ministries and projects, including those of the youth ministry, STM Catholic students collectively run the parish Children’s Charity Fund. Academically qualified students are also invited to participate in the Beta Club, a leadership and service organization at the school.

Children’s Charity Fund
The Children's Charity Account has been set up to help educate the children and the youth at St. Thomas More Parish about the gifts of Stewardship.  When recognizing that all of our gifts truly belong to God, we can help the children and youth see the entire process of stewardship through time, talent and treasure.  This account serves to encourage the young people to tithe, through weekly Sunday envelopes.  STM Catholic also donates to this account through a tithe made from the annual fund-raising event, which is for their specific use.  The money received is strictly used for charity.  Each Faith and Academic Formation branch will receive a budget for the year, for the Children's Charity Account.

The children and youth are encouraged to learn about different service organizations that might need financial assistance.  Requests are then made by the children and youth to offer their treasure to these organizations.

Beta Club
The STM Catholic Beta Club is local chapter of the National Beta Club, a leadership and service organization headquartered in Spartanburg, SC. Our Beta chapter is open to students in the 6th – 8th grades. To qualify, students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and three teacher recommendations. Presently we have over fifty participating Beta members and two faculty sponsors. Examples of Beta service projects include working on the STM Catholic Back-to-School Picnic, providing puzzles for the residents of the Libby Bortz and the St. Catherine’s Assisted Living Centers, and providing Spring Bags to patients of area hospitals.