Community Service

The mission of Lyke House: The Catholic Center at the AUC is to establish spiritual, academic, and faith development for the Atlanta University Center family, with a spirit of Christian love and service in the Black Catholic tradition of Campus Ministry.

Lyke House approaches the spiritual and faith development for the AUC family several unique ways. Each community service opportunity offered at Lyke House encourages students to give freely of their time, talent, and resources in order to be of service to others. By responding to the call of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, Lyke House students continuously strive to create a just society for all.

The following are just a few of the service opportunities Lyke House students participate in every year:

• St. Francis Table Feed the Homeless Ministry
  This daily ministry is offered by the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, located in downtown Atlanta. On the first and third Saturday of the month, Lyke House students meet at up at the center at 7:30 am and travel to the Church where they make sandwiches and soup with other youth and young adults from high schools, parishes, and colleges from all over Atlanta
• Chess Ministry
  This ministry was sponsored by Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (also known as Kappa Boulé) an organization considered to be the first African American Greek Letter organization. Students would meet at Lyke House every Thursday during the semester to practice moves and techniques with Chess Master Beau Hardeman, and throughout the following week, travel to neighborhood schools to teach those same moves and techniques to elementary school children w/ Chess programs at their respective school
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Weekend/Youth and Young Adult Celebration
  Each year on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. day, the Atlanta Archdiocesan Office for Black Catholic Ministry sponsors ad weekend of events and activities commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of the events is a Youth and Young Adult Celebration, where children and young adults from across the Archdiocese showcase their gifts and talents in memory of Dr. King. Lyke House students often volunteer for this event by serving as hospitality ministers.
• Sickle Cell Road Race/AIDS Walk
  Lyke House students are encouraged to donate money and participate in these events to show support for the awareness and research of Sickle Cell Anemia and AIDS/HIV, two diseases of particular importance to people of color around the world

These are just a few of the many community service opportunities available through Lyke House: The Catholic Center at AUC!

Page last updated: January 31, 2009