Photos by Patrick Clancy
On September 26, a total of 144 students, alumni, faculty, and staff gathered on campus for Citizen Katie. It was the 23rd year of St. Catherine University’s annual tradition that brings the community together for service projects and reflection.
After a kick-off breakfast and short program in Rauenhorst Ballroom, participants got into their service groups to collaborate with University efforts and local organizations. In addition to on-campus volunteerism, out-of-town Katies had the chance to join an online volunteer opportunity — a first-time Citizen Katie offering.
"Citizen Katie is the perfect volunteering event as a student of St. Catherine University,” said first-year student and first-time participant Kaia Karpe ’30. “It is short, fun, and accessible and I enjoyed taking part in helping the community."
St. Kate’s volunteers worked on a variety of service projects:
- Sixty volunteers collaborated with Bridging, which provides donated furniture and household goods to families and individuals who are transitioning into housing stability. They assembled 50 dressers, which will be available for families to choose from at the Bridging warehouses. Special thanks to St. Kate’s Student Senate and Mission Chairs who contributed funding to make this dresser build possible.
- Another group of 20 volunteers assembled menstrual kits with the Minnesota chapter of Days for Girls, an organization whose mission is to increase access to menstrual care and education around the world.
- Twelve volunteers created clay bowls as a part of the St. Kate’s Empty Bowls Project and in partnership with Open Arms of Minnesota, a nonprofit that provides free, nutritious meals to people living with life-threatening and chronic illness. The bowls will be used at a soup social later in the year where guests can donate to take home a bowl. The soup social will be held on Thursday, November 19, 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m., in the Visual Arts Building, room 302. All are welcome, campus community and public alike — no RSVP needed.
- Fifteen volunteers supported the Food Access Hub, working in the St. Kate’s/CSJ community garden and in the kitchen area. This year the group got a tour of the new hydroponics grow towers now in operation. Produce grown through hydroponics and in the garden, along with other food donations, is available at the Food Access Hub to anyone in the St. Kate’s community facing food insecurity.
- A group of 15 volunteers worked with the dialysis sweatshirt project to assemble sweatshirts for people undergoing dialysis treatment, which requires access to the upper chest region and both arms.
- Eight people volunteered with Friends of the Mississippi to stencil environmentally educational messages on 100 street drains and distribute 250 educational door hangers in a nearby neighborhood.
- Another 13 volunteers worked with Agate Housing and Services, creating “plarn,” plastic yarn to weave into sleeping mats for people experiencing housing insecurity.
- One participant volunteered online for Mapping Prejudice, transcribing housing deeds to help build the map of racial covenants in Ramsey County.
Retired faculty member Deborah Churchill returned to campus to volunteer this year. “I loved working with this amazing, multi-generational group of St. Kate's-connected people,” she said. “It felt good to be among such committed, high-energy, optimistic, and community-affirming folks!”
This year, the Wildcat hockey team and coach volunteered together. Many participated in building dressers, and led the group in numbers of dressers built… even though it was not a competition. Team member Casey Stockbridge ’30 said, “Citizen Katie was a great bonding opportunity for the community that also benefitted people in need. It meant a lot to me that we could represent St. Kate's hockey in the community outside of the school.”
Kenneth Cooper, dean for equity and belonging, co-led the drain stenciling work group with Community Resident Advisor Richanda Pollard. “Citizen Katie brings students, alumni, faculty, and staff together around a shared commitment to our neighbors,” Cooper said. “What stays with me is the chance to work alongside one another, learn from our community partners, and carry that spirit of service beyond a single day.”
Citizen Katie is a mission-driven collaboration between St. Kate’s and community nonprofit partners. It is organized and facilitated by Community Work and Learning, Alumni Relations, Athletics, University Events, and Student Affairs, Equity, and Belonging, including Residence Life, Campus Life, and the Center for Spirituality and Social Justice.