By Dianne Lumsdaine and Julia Tafoya, Salesian Cooperators

Salesian Cooperators had a very rewarding experience feeding Camp Savio on Monday, July 15, at St. Dominic Savio Church. Ten Cooperators, two aspirants from the Savio English Speaking Center, and a few parish volunteers gathered to serve lunch for over 570 young people, including campers and counselors, ranging in age from Pre-K through young adults. The meal included fried chicken patty sandwiches, salad, apples, and potato chips.

Serving the meals was the highlight of the day for most of us volunteers. First, grace was said, with a special prayer for the Cooperators and volunteers serving that day. We worked side by side with counselors for each grade’s serving table, putting the very ample sandwich on each camper’s plate.  Many of us enjoyed conversing with our counselors from local high schools like Downey, Warren, and St. Pius Mathias. One soon-to-be junior at Downey High shared that it was her first time serving as a counselor and how much it means to her to have found such a rewarding summer experience.  She already knew she wanted to come back next year, and this is at the start of Week 4 of a very intense volunteer commitment!

Congratulations to Dr. JC Montenero, the Camp Director, Isabela De La Vega, the Head Master, the Head Counselor team, and all involved in keeping the young counselors engaged and feeling fulfilled. The total Camp Counselor staff is about 260 teenagers and young adults. The 400 campers also looked like they were having great fun! St. John Bosco must be very proud of all of you.

We also received a very nice Thank-You card from the Camp Staff. They were so appreciative of our efforts!

The Joy of Serving as a Salesian Cooperator – A Reflection by Julia Tafoya

Being a Salesian Cooperator has been a transformative experience in my life.  It has allowed me to make a meaningful difference in young people’s lives while embracing the Salesian charism’s core values. Being a Cooperator has shaped my perspective on joy, community, faith, and service.

On July 15th, the Salesian Cooperators in Bellflower joined the staff at Camp Savio. Together with the kitchen staff, we helped prepare and serve lunch for almost 600 young people attending the camp. Interacting with the staff, you can see that Camp Savio offers a dynamic and engaging environment for young people to learn, play, and grow. The day camp focuses on fostering each child’s development by incorporating the Salesian Charism into every aspect of the program. 

On this day, I was struck by one of the pillars of the Salesian tradition: the importance of community.  As Cooperators, we strive to build a supportive and inclusive community for the young people we serve.  I love working with my fellow Cooperators as we model Don Bosco to the young people we are serving.  While most of us were in the kitchen making lunch, Deacon Joe Lumsdaine addressed the campers and spoke about the Cooperators and how we fit into the Salesian Family.  Being family is important, and demonstrating that each camper is now an essential part of our Salesian family gave me such happiness that we planted seeds that will someday grow.

Being part of the Salesian Family as a Cooperator has taught me the power of joy, the strength of community, the beauty of faith, and the importance of service.  Each day that I can live out my vocation as a Cooperator, I am grateful for the chance to inspire and empower the youth, and I am honored to be part of a movement spreading joy and transforming lives.