Why Give to School Sisters of Notre Dame?
As School Sisters of Notre Dame, we are women religious committed to the call of Jesus Christ to be sources of unity wherever we work. Our mission is to educate and empower people – especially those who are poor and on the margins of society – to reach their full potential. We are committed to building a just society based on Christian values. Our vision is to use our gifts in collaboration with others, perhaps you, for the transformation of our world. We accomplish this through:
Direct Service
- There are 137 sisters who serve full-time as teachers, principals, administrators, parish/spiritual directors, social service/outreach workers, health care providers.
- Another 66 sisters work part-time in the above mentioned fields or serve the community and 58 retired sisters volunteer some time each week as educational tutors for children and adults.
- Our retired sisters at Notre Dame of Elm Grove serve by their prayer and presence. They receive as many as 30 prayer requests a week and are now an official Shalom Center for Prayer, linking them to a world-wide prayer community.
Collaborative Ministries
- Milwaukee Achievers Program, a partnership of SSND and several religious communities in Milwaukee, provides adult tutoring in reading skills, GED, English as a second language and citizen preparation.
- Safe Streets Initiative, an effort of religious and civic leaders that addresses ways to curb the escalating violence on our Milwaukee streets.
Sponsored Organizations
- Mount Mary College educates over 1,700 students annually.
- Notre Dame Middle School educates and empowers Hispanic girls so that they may succeed in school, complete high school, go on to college and contribute to society.
- TYME OUT Youth Center serves over 10,000 youths each year with programs that positively develop their values and character.
Financial Outreach
- With 32 percent of our pooled income, we are able to support sisters who work in ministries serving the poor, marginalized and vulnerable – here at home and as far away as Latin America, Guam and Africa.
- Grants from the Mother Theresa Gerhardinger Fund provide money to other deserving, but under-resourced organizations that resonate with our SSND mission.
- Discretionary funds assist poor students with tuition expenses and support programs in needy parishes.
For 175 years the School Sisters of Notre Dame have impacted their local community, the national atmosphere and the global world vision. Our influence extends from the most humble parish in Milwaukee to our Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status at the United Nations.
We are women of hope who daily pour out our lives to bring about the oneness for which Jesus Christ was sent.