Christian Service

We are called by our faith to serve, and this calling shapes all that we do at McNicholas High School.

Students at McNicholas are immersed in a service-oriented culture and challenged to put their faith into action in our school, our city, our nation, and our world. Students find that their experiences of service through McNicholas greatly impact their sense of purpose, shape their understanding of their vocation, and form them to be people who embrace Christian service as a way of life.

Members of the McNick SVDP stuff valentine treat bags for residents of a local nursing home.

In addition to service-learning and immersion experiences in Cincinnati and rural Tennessee, our students support many school-wide service projects such as Gifts of Hope which supports Hope Emergency, the St. Patrick’s Day ‘Senior’ Prom that supports clients at Sem Haven Nursing Facility, and our annual Penny Drive for Change that supports the CISE Fund and Project Education.

Students can also get involved in these service and social justice-minded groups.

Hands Across Campus

Hands Across Campus (HAC) focuses on fostering inclusion through leadership, education, engagement, and encounter. Through interactive meetings, open discussions, immersive experiences, and activities, students develop an understanding and respect for their own as well as other cultures and grow as compassionate leaders in the McNicholas community and beyond! Recently, HAC has organized cultural celebrations in our school, spearheaded hygiene and cereal collections to support our local community, participated in education and outreach programs through Imago, Mt. Washington Cemetery, the Ozaman Center, and Shantytown, and connected with the Children’s Home of Cincinnati.

St. Vincent de Paul Youth Conference

The McNicholas St. Vincent de Paul Youth Conference (McNick SVDP), which meets on a regular basis to discuss ways to address needs in our community and then to take action to meet those needs, is built on the Essential Elements of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul—spirituality, friendship and service. Members of this student-led conference grow closer in their relationship with God while serving our neighbors in the Mt. Washington community. Recently, McNick SVDP has supported neighbors in need by organizing food drives, reaching out to local nursing homes and the Cincinnati Children’s Home, participating in a Trunk or Treat event for elementary students, making t-shirt bags for use at local food pantries, cleaning up at Mt. Washington Cemetery, cleaning and planting at Withrow Nature Preserve, and participating in service learning programs at the SVDP Ozanam Center.

Student Philanthropy Project

The Student Philanthropy Project gives students the opportunity to learn philanthropy first-hand, thanks to a generous donor who gives thousands of dollars each year to local high schools and universities with well-developed service programs. Throughout the project, students investigate and evaluate non-profit agencies through research and site visits. After a thorough investigative process, students choose an agency to support with their allotted funds. This project impacts the nonprofits and the people those agencies help, as well as helps students to grow as companionate leaders, opening students’ eyes to community needs and ways to address those needs.

In This Section

Mission & Ministry Team

“As Christians, we are called to be salt and light for the earth, and at McNick we are called to strive to grow in full stature towards Christ. SVDP encourages students to do that actively in our community, which has a positive effect on the whole of our society.”

Audrey, Class of 2024

Christian Service

Hands Across Campus

St. Vincent de Paul Youth Conference

Student Philanthropy Project

In This Section

Mission & Ministry Team

Mr. Jeff Hutchinson-Smyth

Mrs. Mary Beth Sandmann

Ms. Teresa Davis

Service Opportunities

Service Requirements