Social Justice

Our faith is lived out through serving God, living Catholic ideals and demonstrating compassion for humankind. STM enables you to explore your spiritual path through service.

Wednesday Soup Kitchen (October through April)
The STM Wednesday Soup Kitchen opened its doors in 1983 to fill a need in the New Haven community. It is open for lunch each Wednesday from the first week of October through the end of April. We serve as many as 400 guests on a given day. The involvement of students, faculty, other members of our worshipping community and friends of the Chapel, make this service possible. 

Alternative Spring Breaks
The ASB program has been a cornerstone of the social justice mission at Saint Thomas More for many years. In contrast to other spring break trips, our ASB program was conceived as an opportunity for Catholic students at Yale to take part in a formative, faith-centered, and life-changing experience. By immersing themselves in a culture foreign to the Yale bubble, participants in the STM Alternative Spring Break program have a chance to bear witness to the truly universal nature of the Catholic Church, while living in and serving a local community.

In 2016 STM students traveled to The Dominican Republic, a Caribbean nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti to the west, challenged by extreme poverty, human rights and relevant global justice issues. Students immersed themselves in real life experiences related to developing an understanding of critical, global issues. 

Another group of students traveled to Nicaragua,  the largest country in Central America and the second poorest country in the western hemisphere following Haiti. Past issues of corruption, political unrest and natural disasters have created a very uneven distribution of wealth with less access to health care, education and employment opportunities for the very poor, who live on $1.00 a day. Participants were hosted by CEPAD, an ecumenical organization, which focuses on accompaniment and empowerment, helping communities and individuals use their own talents for development. Together with a delegation from the Yale School of Nursing, STM students worked with children, teachers and health care workers. 

Tutoring at St. Martin De Porres Academy
Each year, underprivileged youth from the New Haven community are in need of tutors. STM student tutors become role models for these children, empowering them to learn and grow in knowledge and confidence. No prior teaching experience is needed.

STM Summer Ambassadors
The STM Ambassador program offers an intensive summertime initiative focused on helping underserved populations. Students select a non-profit agency to work with on a creative new idea addressing an unmet need and submit a proposal for funding for this project.  STM provides up to $5000 in grant money ($2500 for a stipend for the student and $2500 for the nonprofit agency) if the proposal is selected. Past STM Ambassador grant recipients have set up a library in El Salvador, provided additional services at a soup kitchen, expanded awareness with a local environmental agency and worked with an urban legal aid nonprofit. Deadline for applications is April 1st. Contact Sr. Jenn Schaaf at jenn.schaaf@yale.edu for additional information.