On Saturday, February 21, the Young Catholic Professionals (YCP) of Central Connecticut gathered at St. Joseph’s Residence in Enfield. Over 30 members attended the service project. Volunteers were preparing for the residents’ annual “Snowflake Ball”. 

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While they mainly spent time serving meals to the residents, the primary goal for this event was so much deeper. Glenn Tapawan, YCP Central CT Director of Marketing and Vice President, shared, “The main goal was to get the Young Catholic Professionals of Central Connecticut to lend a helping hand to the residents, along with showing the outreach of our young catholic communities, and their steadfast commitment to service, and working in witness.” 

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Whether they were plating food or breaking down decorations for the ball, the members demonstrated a heart of service, strong integrity, and steadfast leadership skills that define the YCP spirit. 

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YCP Central CT’s president, Natasha Hagen, has a significant history of volunteering with the Little Sisters of the Poor and their residence center. The project also served as a beautiful bridge to YCP’s spiritual advisors. Tapawan shared that the community at St. Joseph’s is home to several of the chapter's chaplains, including Sr. Carolyn. “The St. Joseph’s Residence has also hosted similar young adult groups from Connecticut there, and it was an ideal place for us to go to mass right before our service project began,” he said.

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Service projects are an opportunity to further connect with fellow chapter members, as well as with other Catholics outside of the YCP community. “The members of our YCP community enthusiastically took the opportunity to serve, and spend time with the elderly people whom they wouldn’t normally see on a daily basis,” Tapawan said. “It was a blessing for all of us to carry on and have a positive impact on them, demonstrating our great faith, integrity, sacrifice, leadership and legacy that YCP stands for.”

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We are all brought closer together through selfless acts. It helps to remind us we are all called to think of others before ourselves. “Doing service projects like this serves as a reminder to us that we do all of this to glorify God, plus it’s good for our souls,” he said. 

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The young Catholic professionals of YCP Central CT proved that "Working in Witness for Christ" is not just a motto, but a way of life that transforms both the server and the served. “Whether it was serving plates of food, chatting with the elderly, or setting up and breaking down a Snowflake ball, we lived out our motto of Working in Witness for Christ,” Tapawan concluded. While this project has passed, the testimonies and blessings gathered there will continue to fuel the chapter's mission.