Last Thursday, five Catholic Campus Ministry students, led by LaDonna McCrary, visited the Johnstown soup kitchen to help senior citizens at Boxes for Seniors.

A total of 63 local senior citizens were signed up to receive a box with 12-inch dimensions that contained an assortment of juice and cheeses.

The Boxes for Seniors were sponsored by the Saint Vincent De Paul Society.

The organization has food drives monthly throughout the Johnstown and Altoona areas.

While helping unload the boxes from the van to the soup kitchen, where the food was being distributed, freshman Sarah Brasili, Nicholas Wolf and sophomore Jocelyn Hartman watched as the entrance area filled with senior citizens.

At the beginning of the handout, there were approximately 15 senior citizens waiting to sign a piece of paper to receive their food.

Some brought a shopping cart to make it easier for them to carry their goods home.

As students Brasili and Wolf were carrying boxes to some seniors’ residences, two more students Shaun Ocipa and Stephen Dolhi showed up to volunteer.

Ocipa quickly became the official door holder and comedian of the bunch while making some of the citizens laugh.

“The group of students we have this year is amazing.

“They are very active, very hungry and so anxious to know more and to be our hands and feet on campus,” said McCrary.

McCrary spoke about another event the Catholic Campus Ministry members are planning.

“It is a produce drive that will give families in the Johnstown area fresh produce.

“We need a lot of volunteers for this event because it is supposed to feed a large number of families in the area,” said McCrary.

The event is to be held along Vo Tech Drive at 8a.m. Feb. 4 at the Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center.

The attendance to the Boxes for Seniors came to a halt about an hour and a half after it started.

There were 31 names that had been signed on the list of seniors who received food.

A few more seniors reportedly showed up after the Catholic Campus Ministry members left with just a half an hour left for the event.

The Catholic Campus Ministry members said they are planning to volunteer at the event again next month.