50 Villanova Students Bring Service To Chesco Intermediate Unit

DOWNINGTOWN, PA — Fifty students from Villanova University traveled to the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) on Oct. 2 for the annual St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service.

The day was spent at the CCIU's Educational Service Center and the CCIU Learning Center, where students volunteered their time painting, cleaning out storage closets, weeding, and edging flower beds.

Each year, the St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service brings together nearly 5,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni, and their families, working in partnership with neighborhood agencies to perform service across the Greater Philadelphia region. The annual event is one of many service outreaches the Villanova community brings its surrounding area to put its Augustinian ideals into action.

Maddy McClay, a junior and orientation counselor at Villanova, spoke about the benefits of volunteering and why this annual event holds such importance for the University. "It's instilled in our values; Veritas, Unitas, and Caritas, which means truth, unity, and love, and our annual Day of Service is a big part of that," she said.

The day was also an opportunity for the students to continue building their comradery. "We spent a lot of time with this group during our four-day orientation program, so this is an opportunity for us to reunite while also being able to give back to our community," McClay explained.

The Day of Service is named in honor of St. Thomas of Villanova, an archbishop who was known for extending his generosity and aiding others. It's a day for Villanova students to bring the community together and to celebrate his legacy of love, the group explained in a news statement.

The Chester County Intermediate Unit is an educational service agency that exists to provide quality, cost-effective services to the community and its residents. The Chester County Intermediate Unit administers instructional, enrichment, and administrative programs and services to Chester County’s 12 public school districts and to over 45 private and parochial schools in the county.

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