All-School Events
Canned Food Drive
Each year during Spirit Week, Ursuline coordinates a food drive for four local food pantries. The Canned Food Drive is structured as a friendly class competition in which each grade collects as many canned goods for their assigned food pantry as possible. Last year
we collected for 10 food pantries and donated nearly 30,000 lbs of food. Donations went to St. Vincent de Paul, Hope Emergency Program, Loveland Food Pantry, Churches Active in Northside, Northeast Emergency Distribution Services, Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, Mason Food Pantry, The Caring Place, Mt. Healthy Alliance and Valley Interfaith Food & Clothing Shelter. In addition, we collected more than $5,000 for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless.
Christmas Project
Each November, students donate gifts from the Ursuline giving tree to Hope Emergency Center’s Christmas shop. Last year, an impressive 3,572 gifts were donated. Ursuline partners with Hope Emergency, which was started in 1975 by the Ursuline Sisters, throughout the year.
Empty Bowls Night
Empty Bowls is a national event that seeks to raise awareness about homelessness and hunger in local communities across the country. At an Empty Bowls event, participants share a meal together using bowls made by local artisans, and learn about homelessness. Ursuline's Empty Bowls night takes place once a year and has included several speakers on the issue of homelessness, as well as a meal provided by La Soupe, a not-for-profit founded and run by Ursuline alumna, Suzy Adrian DeYoung '76. The bowls for the evening are created by Ursuline art students.
Shantytown
In this biennial event, interested students will have the opportunity to experience homelessness for a night. Students will learn more about homelessness through speakers, movies, a soup kitchen, reflections, prayers and more. Perhaps the most impactful part of this experience is that all students will sleep overnight at Ursuline Academy and experience a day of classes on Friday, which is followed by a final reflection.
Fair Trade Christmas
Each year, Ursuline plans an event to help all members of the Ursuline community become educated about the origins of the things we buy. The goal of this project is to create educated consumers and provide an opportunity for students, faculty members, and parents to shop consciously for holiday season. Each year, the project leaders partner with local fair trade shops who bring their fair trade items to Ursuline Academy for students, faculty, and parents to purchase as holiday gifts.