Hesed Program Requirements
“This is what Yahweh asks of you, only this:
That you act justly,
Love tenderly (hesed),
And walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8
THE MEANING OF “HESED”
“Hesed” is a Hebrew word found in the Hebrew Scriptures which is usually translated as “loving kindness,” “faithful love,”
“steadfast love,” or “enduring love.” Hesed refers to a covenant relationship between God and God’s people. It is God’s
relationship with a people of faith.
This loving relationship between God and God’s people is directed by an inner loyalty toward one another, one in which
love is freely given and is characterized by constancy, steadfastness, and trust. It is exactly this meaning of “Hesed” that
describes the program of service and care for and with others.
PHILOSOPHY OF THE HESED PROGRAM
As a member of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools, Newton Country Day commits itself to educate to I) a personal and
active faith in God, II) a deep respect for intellectual values, III) a social awareness which impels to action, IV) the building
of community as a Christian value; and V) personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom. The Hesed Program is
designed to meet each of these goals while being centered around Goal III - a social awareness which impels to action.
Students give life to this Sacred Heart Goal by actively engaging in community service. By choosing a site where they can
serve on a consistent and continual basis, the students form a reciprocal relationship with the people with whom they
work, where each person gives as well as receives from the other. This fosters the building of community and enables the
students to respond to the Gospel call to work for social justice – an act which leads to a deepening of personal faith.
Through a reflection process which encourages critical thinking and personal reflection, students mature intellectually,
emotionally, and spiritually. The Hesed Program encourages the students to learn experientially and instills in them the
values of courage, confidence, and civic responsibility.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Students will satisfy the following requirements:
 Hesed site proposal,
 Successful completion of 40 hours of community service by the end of the year,
 One reflection paper per quarter until completion of service hours,
 Power-point presentation of Hesed service and site.
Hesed Site Proposal
Before beginning their service work, students are required to submit a written proposal detailing the nature of the service
work proposed, how the student enters into a reciprocal relationship with the people at the site, and how her proposed
service brings life to the Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria.
1) Students must be engaged in direct service at their non-profit sites (no office work allowed).
2) Students may not work with or be supervised by relatives at their sites.
3) Though service to one’s community can take on a variety of meaningful forms, Hesed projects should be
service which is related to a social justice issue and meets a real need in the community. This allows the
student to draw meaningful connections between her service work in Hesed and the social justice issues she will
study in Religion 11.
4) Proposals for summer service work are due to Ms. Elisa Rodriguez by May 1, 2015. All other proposals are due
by September 15, 2015.
Requirement of 40 Hours
Students are required to complete 40 hours of service for the year.
1) At least 75% of the service hours (30 hours) must be direct service completed at the same site; up to 25% (10
hours) may be completed through other activities, if the student chooses (Walk for Hunger, Serve-a-thon, etc…).
Students who wish to complete all 40 hours at the same site are welcome to do so. Traditionally, Network
Summer Service Projects which offer students the opportunity for direct service fulfill at least 30 hours of service.
2) At least 10 hours must be completed by the end of the 1st quarter, 20 hours by the end of the 2nd quarter, and 30
hours by the end of the 3rd quarter.
3) The record of hours must be submitted with the site supervisor’s signature or be sent directly from the site
supervisor’s email account per quarter.
4) All hours must be completed by Monday of the last week of the quarter.
Reflection Component
1) Each quarter (until all service hours are completed), students submit a two-page typed reflection paper
responding to a specific reflection question noted below.
2) If the student completes all of her service work in the summer or by the end of the first quarter she submits one
reflection paper (four to six pages typed) responding to all the questions below.
3) If she completes all her service work by the end of second quarter, she only submits a reflection paper for the first
and second quarters, etc…
4) As with the record of hours, the reflection papers are collected on Monday of the last week of the quarter.
Reflection questions:
 1st quarter: Briefly describe your volunteer role at your service site. What do you feel you have learned from
your community service experience? What (and whom) will you remember? Why?
 2nd quarter: What aspect of your community service experience made the deepest impression on you? Why?
Were you able to enter into a reciprocal relationship with the people with whom you served? Why or why not?
 3rd quarter: What has been the greatest challenge or the least favorite aspect of your community service
experience? How have you worked to overcome this challenge?
 4th quarter: In what ways have you embodied the Goals of Sacred Heart education through your community
service experience? How has your service experience impacted your faith?
Assessment
At the end of the year, students receive a grade (High Pass, Pass, Low Pass, Incomplete) for Hesed based on their written
work, successful completion of the required hours, the timeliness with which deadlines were met, and the evaluation of
their Site Supervisor. In order to receive credit for Hesed, students must complete 10 hours per quarter and submit the
reflection paper(s).
Hesed and Religious Studies 11
One of the projects in Religion 11 (a power-point presentation) requires students to reflect upon their experience at their
service site and to provide some background information about this organization, as well. If a student chooses to do her
service over the summer, she is encouraged to gather information about the site while she is there and to take photos—if
permissible by the supervisor—to best present her site.
**Successful completion of the Hesed Program is a requirement for graduation at NCDS.
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” –Frederick Buechner