by Colin Kelley ‘17
For over a decade, St. Ignatius students have traveled all over Northeast Ohio moving furniture and other items for people in our community as members of the CAT program, the St. Bernard Movers.
The Movers depart from the Arrupe House at 3:20 each Monday and pick up the items from a donation center or directly from a house. The Movers then bring these items either to a home or back to St. Ignatius. “We usually are helping people in transition homes move their furniture,” explained Movers leader Mr. Kosko ‘10.
Generally, the Movers assist friends of Ignatius in the Ohio City neighborhood, Labre friends transitioning into a home, or anyone else who has contacted them or a partnered service organization. They also help move boxes for the Christmas Food Drive and move the supplies for the Arrupe Christmas Party. Anyone interested in donating furniture or any other items can contact Mr. Kosko by email or one of the organizations that partner with the Movers, such as the May Dugan Center or CARE Alliance.
Led by alumni volunteers, Mr. Kosko ‘10 and Mr. Nguyen ‘08, the Movers have completed 13 moves this school year. The Movers have averaged 25-30 moves a year totaling between 250 and 300 moves over the past ten years. Students from all grade levels are invited to participate in the Movers. “We have had a lot of freshmen this year,” Mr. Kosco ‘10 said concerning student involvement this year.
The St. Bernard Movers provides a great opportunity to get involved at Ignatius, whether you are a freshman trying to get involved in service for the first time or even a senior CAT leader looking for one more rewarding service experience. With the weight room closed, there is no better time to join the Movers and keep the muscles huge with the couch-press and single chair-leg deadlift.
