Students assembled hygiene kits for distribution at Catholic Charities’ Father Jack Jones Food Pantry during a worship night for high schoolers held at Sacred Heart Academy on Feb. 24. The worship night, which included collaboration with Catholic Charities’ programs, was co-hosted by the Catholic Charities Youth Board and the academy. (Photo Special to The Record) 
Catholic Charities Youth Board members gathered for a board meeting Aug. 17 at Catholic Charities’ headquarters on East Broadway. (Photo Special to The Record) 
Students made cards for people served by Catholic Charities during a worship night for high schoolers held at Sacred Heart Academy on Feb. 24. The event was co-hosted by the Catholic Charities Youth Board and the academy. (Photo Special to The Record)
A group of 20 local Catholic teens have teamed up to support the work of Catholic Charities of Louisville.
The Catholic Charities Youth Board — composed of 11th- and 12th-graders from across the archdiocese — aims to assist Catholic Charities’ initiatives through volunteering, fundraising and networking.
“There’s a lot of youth around Louisville who want to do something or would like to be a part of something, but they just don’t necessarily know how,” said Zahra Butt, a junior at Sacred Heart Academy, who serves as the chair of the board’s 2025-2026 cohort. “And so the Youth Board is a big way we can show people, this is how.”
Through participation in the board, members are empowered to “introduce other young adults to the CCL programs” and foster a “culture of service” as liaisons within their schools, said Debbie Belt, volunteer coordinator for Catholic Charities of Louisville.
This year, the board’s 20 student members hail from seven Catholic high schools. The board, which began in the 2023-2024 academic year, is now in its third cohort.
“I always knew what Catholic Charities was, but I never knew just how much work they do.”
— Kat Cummins, Assumption High School student
The teens meet monthly for meetings, service opportunities, presentations from Catholic Charities employees or group Masses. Its student leadership team forms the board’s agenda and leads its meetings, noted Belt.
Butt noted that joining the board gave her the opportunity to learn more about the charities’ programs. Prior to joining the board, she had been involved with the charities’ food pantries, but was not aware of the full scope of Catholic Charities’ programs, she said.
“I never knew all the work that they did, especially the work they do with refugee programs, resettling people,” she said.
Kat Cummins, a senior at Assumption High School who serves as the board secretary, has had a similar experience.
“I always knew what Catholic Charities was, but I never knew just how much work they do,” she said, noting she was unaware of its Common Earth Gardens, a farming and gardening program, and Bakhita Empowerment Initiative, an anti-trafficking program.
Since the cohort began in the fall, members have participated in several of the charities’ service opportunities, such as sorting and packing gifts for the Presents with a Purpose Christmas giveaway and gardening with the Common Earth Gardens program. Some of its members have also organized dress-down days at their high schools to raise funds for Catholic Charities.
Last month, the board partnered with Sacred Heart Academy to host a worship night for high schoolers.
At the event, held on Feb. 24th, more than 50 students from various high schools spent time in prayer and small-group discussion. Then, they learned about Catholic Charities’ programs from the charities’ staff and made greeting cards for residents in the charities’ Long-Term Care program and Bakhita Empowerment Initiative program.
Students also brought donations to assemble hygiene kits, which were distributed at Catholic Charities’ Father Jack Jones Food Pantry.
Applications for the board’s 2026-2027 cohort are open now. Incoming 11th- and 12th-graders from all schools are invited to apply at cclou.org/2026_2027_youth_board_application/. The deadline to apply is April 24.
