The third annual\u00a0St. John\u2019s Saves<\/a>\u00a0campuswide sustainability and service initiative began April 27. It continued through May 15 when a truck brought the merchandise from the Donovan Hall collection point to the Bethpage, NY, headquarters of\u00a0St. Vincent de Paul Long Island<\/a>. The four metric tons were the highest total in the three-year history of the collection; St. John\u2019s students have now donated more than 11 metric tons of residence hall items, repurposing them for needy people and keeping them out of landfills that can threaten the environment.<\/p>\n \u201cSt. John\u2019s has a defined mission of eco-friendliness and\u00a0sustainability<\/a>,\u201d sophomore\u00a0actuarial sciences<\/a>\u00a0student Keziah Philip said. \u201cMost of the items here would go to a landfill; it is very important that we repurpose them and give them to people in New York City who need them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Students contributed unwanted items to a series of collection bins located across the Residence Village beginning April 27. St. John\u2019s volunteers sorted the items throughout the 19-day collection period. The effort climaxed on May 15 with the arrival of the St. Vincent de Paul truck.<\/p>\n St. John\u2019s volunteers packed up the truck with help from the St. Vincent de Paul team. With scarcely any extra room, the volunteers sealed the rear door shut and applauded as the truck headed off.<\/p>\n \u201cAs students at a Vincentian university, we are taught from day one about the value of giving back to those in need,\u201d said sophomore\u00a0legal studies<\/a>\u00a0major Tiffany Chan as she wheeled a bin of household items to the waiting truck. \u201cSt. John\u2019s has such a footprint in New York City, and the fact that these items will help local people is very important to us.\u201d<\/p>\n The collection represents a partnership between\u00a0Campus Facilities and Services<\/a>,\u00a0Campus Ministry<\/a>, the\u00a0Institute for Vincentian Impact<\/a>, and the\u00a0Office of Residence Life<\/a>. The items were distributed to organizations that directly benefit communities locally and beyond, including<\/p>\n Vincent\u2019s Table<\/a>, which provides food and support services to individuals experiencing food insecurity;St. John\u2019s University Career Closet<\/a>, which helps students access professional clothing for interviews, internships, and career opportunities;DePaul USA\u2019s\u00a0DAX Program<\/a>, which supports students experiencing homelessness;Midnight Run<\/a>, which provides food, clothing, blankets, and more to the homeless poor of New York City;The Bridge to Life<\/a>, which supports mothers and families expecting a child;The shop at\u00a0St. Vincent de Paul Long Island<\/a>, supporting charitable outreach and community assistance programs; andBetter World Books<\/a>, a reseller and redistributor of books to support literacy initiatives worldwide. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a significant undertaking at an already busy time of year,\u201d said\u00a0Jason T. Bartlett, Ph.D.<\/a>, Director, Office of Residence Life. \u201cOur students are going through final exams and getting ready to pack up their belongings and head home. We have tried to create a mechanism to channel all these donated items to worthy and needy community organizations throughout the New York area.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Dr. Bartlett, the initiative reflects the call of Pope Francis in\u00a0Laudato Si\u2019<\/a>, which amplified Catholic teaching on the relationship between environmental and social issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLaudato Si\u2019\u00a0was a blueprint for how we can combat the culture of waste here in America,\u201d Dr. Bartlett said. \u201cIt just takes a little bit of organization to come up with solutions to these problems.\u201d<\/p>\n Watch a video<\/a> of the St. John’s Saves collection effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![\"St.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/sjusaves1_0.jpg\")
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