Sociology Program Makes Impact on Local Communities

For the Saint Joseph’s sociology department, change isn’t something you wait around for — it’s something you do yourself. From Fall 2018 through Spring 2019, students enrolled in varied sociology and criminal justice courses raised $14,000 to send kids to Camp Mariposa, a weekend support camp for children impacted by a family member’s substance-use disorder.

The effort was part of “Social Action 101,” a program developed by faculty members in the department to put the University’s Jesuit ideals into practice. The program raised $35,000 for various causes over the 2018-19 academic year.

“It’s a good feeling for the department,” says Professor of Sociology Maria Kefalas, Ph.D. “The students are amazed at the impact they could have on their own community.”

Kefalas began the program a few years ago after a student asked how she could get involved feeding hungry children. After talking with her students about projects they could help with, the students decided to start a food drive for the St. Francis Inn Ministries in Kensington.

The following year, the students raised $10,000 to buy 30 new computers for a Title 1 school in Philadelphia. The year after, the program raised about $8,000 to provide six scholarships to students at Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia charter school after a difficult year where the students lost two classmates to homicide.

In the Fall 2018 semester, they decided to do things a bit differently. Associate Professor of Sociology Keith Brown, Ph.D., helped organize the program by soliciting proposals from organizations and non-profits to see where to direct the department’s fundraising efforts. Ultimately, the students decided on Camp Mariposa.

According to Brown, the camp hits close to home for some of the students, having dealt with the disease of addiction within their own families.

One student, Kaimosi Amen-Ra, was motivated to improve kids’ lives. “I always loved trying to help impact someone else’s life,” Amen-Ra says. “I took this opportunity to fundraise very seriously because it's almost like a dream come true for me. This allowed me to give back to other kids who were once in my shoes so I can help guide them in the right direction of life.”

Saint Joseph’s students got creative in how they raised money. Amen-Ra turned to social media to start his fundraising process. “I posted flyers on my Instagram and Snapchat pages,” he says. “I asked my parents and their friends to donate, as well as family members and friends. I raised $854 for Camp Mariposa.”

Other students chose to sell old clothes and sports equipment, or donate the money they made at part-time jobs. “That’s St. Joe’s,” Kefalas says. “They’re called to serve others.”

“The most important lesson I’ve taken away from this project is that if you can pitch in and help out a bigger cause  — especially if it can be a life-changing investment that will help not only children but other human beings — do it,” Amen-Ra says.

This semester, the program will raise funds for Face to Face, a human services organization in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Face to Face serves the less fortunate with a dining room, health center, legal and social services and early childhood education and camps. Face to Face serves 2,500 people annually and has been a presence in the neighborhood for more than three decades.