Sacred Heart Spaghetti Dinner, October 21

"The spaghetti dinner met our goal in that we were helping Sacred Heart in overcoming their economic barriers. When I first researched their school, I saw in numerous bulletins that their weekly net profit was usually, if not always, negative. This mainly gave me the inspiration to choose this event over others because it was a way of volunteering at an event that raised funds to keep a struggling church going. The community also cherished this event, which made our work all the better. Thousands of people came throughout the day during our two shifts, and though I was constantly moving and trying to meet the customers' needs, I found a lot of meaning in our work. Helping individuals and larger communities, such as Sacred Heart, is one of the reasons I love leading Why Not?"

-Aidan Corey

"While finishing up my service at the Sacred Heart dinner, I was left with a couple important takeaways. The first takeaway that I received was just amazement to how much work and effort these people put in to feeding thousands upon thousands of people all for no proceeds. All of the money they received today were donations to be sent to a better cause. These people, especially the cooks, put a ton of hard work into what they did today. The next takeaway that I received was the feeling of joy. Even though at times I was getting yelled at by customers or other workers to do things, I know it was all out of love and that they wanted everything to go smoothly. I greatly enjoyed helping out with this organization as it was a great place to see God's work in action."

-William Doepker

"Helping out with the Sacred Heart Spaghetti Dinner was a very stressful, yet interesting event for me. While it was hard to keep up with the busy tables, it was beneficial to learn how to deal with these types of issues. Learning new skills regarding helping others in a restaurant-like environment is definitely a skill that I could use in the future. On top of learning these new skills, I was able to help provide for a faith-based organization so that they can continue on and spread the good news of the Church."

-Tommy Aug

"Participating in the Sacred Heart Spaghetti Dinner was a great experience for me because of the large impact it had on the community. Seeing hundreds of people come together to eat and learn about Italian heritage was amazing. I even learned more about my own Italian heritage through this event. Knowing that the proceeds of this event were helping an underprivileged Church stay open made my experience that much better. I was a server and busser at this event, and I gained a new respect for all workers in the food industry by doing this. Overall, this was an amazing experience, and I hope to help with it next year too."

-Nicholas Seger

"I won't lie: this event was the most chaotic event I have taken a part in, but that is not a bad thing. There were hundreds and hundreds of people who came to support this Church, Sacred Heart, to keep them standing. This event helps Sacred Heart stay on budget, and I loved to see the community come together to raise money for one goal."

-Nathan Bill

"Volunteering at the Sacred Heart Spaghetti dinner was different than the other projects I’ve been involved in, but I enjoyed my time nonetheless. First, the atmosphere there was hectic and the place was buzzing. As soon as I arrived for the second shift, I was put to work bussing tables and taking orders. The amount of people that came and ate dinner was so much more than I imagined. It really emphasized the tight-knit nature of this community and the support people have for the Church. Being able to help out at this fundraiser was significant for me because I read that this event has been going on for over a hundred years now, and it feels like being a part of history in some way. Overall, the lively mood of both the volunteers and the diners made this an entertaining and fun day."

-Ryan Tressler

"At first, I just thought this was a community dinner. This event meant so much more when I learned that the profits from this greatly helps keep the Church up and running. Without this dinner, along with the Palm Sunday dinner, Sacred heart may have to close. Knowing that I am helping keep that beautiful Church open meant so much. On top of that, it was amazing to see a community come together to support this cause. It was so cool to see the amount of laughter and bonding there was at the dinner. I would absolutely do this again, because it is a great cause, and it allowed me to meet some great people."

-Griffin Kelley