Xavier High School Book Collection for Rikers!

This past month, our friends and partners at Xavier High School organized a highly successful book and card drive to support our brothers and sisters behind the walls this Valentine’s Day. Under the leadership of Greg Stelzer, Alicia Psillos, and several students, the Xavier community gathered nearly 900 books from a range of genres that Thrive For Life will deliver to jails and prisons throughout New York State, including Rikers Island here in New York City. In addition to books, the school community raised nearly $2,000 to support Thrive For Life’s ministry behind and beyond the prison walls. 

The Xavier community has been a close partner of Thrive For Life since the very beginning of our organization, starting first with Fr. Zach leading groups of students to Rikers Island for care package deliveries and basketball tournaments. Since then, students have organized successful supply drives to support incarcerated men and women during the Christmas season. Mr. Stelzer, Director of Ignatian Service Programs at Xaiver, explained that his students have a deep care for serving and ministering to those affected by incarceration. “We want our students to see beyond just the standard areas of service. While those are extremely important, we often look past people, such as those behind the walls, who are very much in need of care and grace,” he said. “Thrive’s work helps people, especially our young men here at Xavier, break down stereotypes about people affected by incarceration. It gets them interested in ways they can help.” 

For several weeks, Mr. Stelzer and his team worked with Pablo, our Spiritual Care Coordinator, to promote the book drive to students, family, faculty, and alumni. Several English teachers promoted the drive through Xavier’s English Department, emphasizing the power knowledge and education can have on someone’s life. “It’s our goal that our students here will answer the call to stand up for social justice, even in simple ways,” Mr. Stelzer said. As a Jesuit institution, Xavier emphasizes the critical importance of faith-lived through serving others, especially those who are underserved. 

Thrive For Life extends our deepest thanks to our friends at Xavier. Special thanks as well to Jack Raslowsky, Maxime Sinal, Leonardo Mannino, Xavier Campus Ministry, and the faculty of the English Department.