Special to The Message
Students in third, fourth and fifth grades at St. Matthew School in Mt. Vernon spent their final semester of the school year fundraising, collecting various items and volunteering so they could pay it forward to a local charity or organization.
“Our ‘Pay It Forward’ project began as a way for our students to truly put their faith into action,” said Keely Burkhart, fourth-grade teacher at St. Matthew.
Burkhart, who organized the project, explained that students worked individually or in small groups to choose a charity or organization whose cause is meaningful to them. Through research, planning and service, she said students discovered real and impactful ways to give back, support others and spread kindness.
Students in third, fourth and fifth grades at St. Matthew School in Mt. Vernon pose for a group photo after presenting their Pay It Forward projects on April 23
On April 23, students presented their projects to parents and charity representatives after the schoolwide Mass.
National Pay It Forward Day is celebrated annually on April 28 to encourage people to perform kind and selfless acts for others without expecting anything in return. The idea is that if one person helps another, Burkhart explained, that person may help someone else, creating a chain of kindness that spreads across communities, cities and even the world.
“Here at St. Matthew School, this project goes even deeper,” Burkhart said. “Rooted in our Catholic faith, it calls us to live out the teachings of Jesus by serving others with love, compassion and generosity. We are reminded that we are the hands and feet of Christ, bringing His love to life through our actions.”
As students, parents and charity representatives gathered April 23, Burkhart encouraged them to reflect on the words of Scripture from Matthew 25:40: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
“Paying it forward means that instead of simply repaying kindness, we pass it on — creating a ripple effect of goodness that spreads far beyond what we can see,” she said. “Through this project, our students are doing more than completing an assignment — they are answering a call to serve. They are learning that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a powerful difference.
“Imagine if each of us chose to live this way every day — how far could God’s love reach?”
Organizations students helped through the project included American Red Cross, Borrowed Hearts, Isaiah 117, River Bend Food Pantry, At the Cross Mission, Trotter House, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Mason Mileham Memorial Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, New Life Rescue and Adoption and Happy Feet of Posey County.
Burkhart shared what the 29 students raised for the projects. Together, she said students raised $8,431, collected 218 non-perishable food items, created seven blessing bags, collected six packs of baby wipes, six pacifiers, five soap bottles, five bags of pet treats, five hygiene products, two bottle brushes, one box of diapers, one pet collar, one large tote of children’s clothes and one meal served.
Burkhart also recognized the kindergarten through second grade students, who took part in the project in a special way.
“Working together as a class, they collected items to support those in need, showing that even our youngest students can make a meaningful difference,” she said. “Their generosity and teamwork are a beautiful reminder that no act of kindness is too small.”
- The kindergarten class collected 164 pairs of socks and underwear for the Black Township Trustee’s Office.
- First graders collected 45 food items for the River Bend Food Pantry.
- Second graders collected 69 items for New Life Rescue.
“This is more than just a number — it represents lives touched, needs met and hope given,” Burkhart said. “We could not be more proud of what they have accomplished together.”
She continued: “There are so many lessons we teach in the classroom, and while students may not remember every math problem or English standard, my prayer is that they remember this project. I hope it plants a seed within them — a seed that grows into a desire to be the change in our world and to make it a better place for others.”
Burkhart offered a special thank you to the volunteers of the organizations who dedicate their lives to serving others, as well as to parents for their support, encouragement and involvement.
“We challenge each of you to go out and pay it forward,” she said at the end of the program. “Whether it’s a big gesture or a small act of kindness, every act matters and has the power to create a ripple effect far beyond what we can see.”