While every school is in a community, it’s a whole other thing to be a community-involved school. St. Louis School in Owensville prides itself on partnerships within the greater community, giving back to its neighbors for decades.

Through school drives and service projects, St. Louis encourages students to use their time and talents to give back. Lottie Waldman, both a third-generation alumni and the school principal, noted that, while other schools have outreach, the ongoing contributions of St. Louis School’s student body, teachers and staff shine throughout the community.

Philanthropy is a core value we hope to instill in all our students,” said Waldman. “We are continually pursuing opportunities for our students to practice this. … Recent initiatives … include a St. Vincent de Paul food drive, a sock collection for the Franciscan Daughters of Mary, our annual coat drive and the Fill the Food Pantry project.”

The school’s junior high students have a particular passion for working on the sock drive for the Franciscan Daughters of Mary.

“We want our students to absorb a strong sense of altruism during their time at St. Louis,” shared Waldman. “As Catholics and good humans, we value benevolence and generosity, and our work with the Daughters is a perfect example of how we can practice this in everyday life. We hope our students take away how easy it is to give back and how fulfilling it is to serve our Lord through this ministry.”

“St. Louis’ strong Catholic identity is a testament to the close connection we are able to maintain within our community,” shared Waldman. “We collaborate and operate as a family with our parish, parents, students and community.”

Waldman emphasized that community outreach isn’t only a priority for students, but for parents as well.

“I am honored to say my four children (three of whom currently attend St. Louis School and my youngest, [is] a future Crusader) are third-generation St. Louis students!” said Waldman. “I became involved with the school when my children started attending, but I have been attending and volunteering [in] the parish since Ben, my husband, and I started dating. We were married in the church and have celebrated so many other sacraments with our family and friends in our home parish. To this day, my husband’s lifelong friendships are those he made in grade school at St. Louis.”

“As [an alumnus and spouse of ] an alumnus, it is amazing to see what strong advocates the alumni are for their alma mater,” said Waldman. “I know many mothers and fathers married to St. Louis alumni [who] express how special this school and the experience [are], even when compared to their own Catholic, parochial school upbringing.”

And the giving by St. Louis students, parents and alumni will continue into the future, because, as Waldman said, “While academics will always remain at the forefront, we recognize that in these formative years of a child’s life, we must also focus on developing good and faith-filled members of our community.”

This article appeared in the January 2024 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.