Last month, nine students from St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, and their chaperones traveled to Cape Girardeau, Mo., the home of Notre Dame Regional High School.

The trip – which brought together almost 30 young men and women from Franciscan Brothers schools – provided the opportunity to volunteer and offer service to a variety of organizations, including the Southeast Missouri Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity.

Joining the contingent were 10 students from St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, L.I. It was the Franciscan Brothers who put their stamp on the trip.

This idea of helping those in need is rooted in the efforts and legacy of Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century saint who gave away wild riches and privilege to minister to those in need.

For some St. Francis students, this was one of many service experiences.

Senior Jeanpierre Tenesaca has made service trips to Peru and Camden, N.J. In Peru, he comforted hospitalized children. In Camden, one of the poorest cities in America, he worked with both kindergarteners and the elderly. One boy in particular moved Tenesaca, given he ate as much as possible through his school’s free food program because he was not able to eat at home.

At the Missouri trip, Tenesaca was happy to see that the students’ efforts would help those in need.

The students’ service included working at a local food bank and making “Ugly Quilts,” simple emergency sleeping bags from recycled fabrics to help homeless people at risk of hypothermia.