On November 2, Notre Dame Academy – Worcester hosted its annual Oxfam Banquet, which raises awareness of hunger and poverty. When guests arrive, they draw tickets at random that assign each to a high-, middle-, or low-income tier, based on the latest statistics about the number of people living in poverty. Each income level receives a corresponding meal. Proceeds were donated to The Mustard Seed, a Catholic Worker House that offers meals to the hungry in Worcester, and to Oxfam America.
Sister Evelyn McKenna, SNDdeN founded the Oxfam Club, and has been a life-giving presence at NDA-Worcester for many years. Following 43 years as a faculty member, she officially retired, but continues to oversee two of the programs she initiated at NDA, the Oxfam Banquet and the Cans for Congo drive.
Current NDA-Worcester Head of School Lisa Mancini describes Sister Evelyn as "a special part of the NDA community for decades. In fact, she was my Religion Teacher when I was a student!" Sister Evelyn's influence as a teacher inspired former student Renee Thunell to write "Love love love Sr. Evelyn. She helped plant the seeds that helped deepen my Catholic faith."
Lisa Mancini asserts that Sister Evelyn, "has been instrumental in ensuring that our students live our mission of becoming 'compassionate global citizens,'" saying "She was a very special part of my NDA experience and we are blessed that she continues to be part of our community today."
Sister Evelyn's service also continues through her management of the "Cans for Congo" project. The NDA school community collects recyclable cans and proceeds are sent to SNDdeN schools in Congo to purchase food and supplies. for students there.
