Villanova Community Taking On Service Projects Saturday

VILLANOVA, PA — Students faculty, staff, alumni and their families of Villanova University will take on service projects at more than 140 sites in and around Philadelphia as part of the 14th annual St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service.

More than 5,000 will participate in the day on Saturday, Sept. 21.

"Year after year, the Villanova community comes together on the Day of Service to dedicate our time and share our collective talents serving the common good, which is central to our Catholic Augustinian mission," said University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD. "Fourteen years after initiating this day, the enthusiasm and passion for this event continues to grow stronger with our largest number of volunteers yet."

Service is central to Villanova’s mission and values, with students performing nearly 250,000 hours of service annually in communities locally, regionally and globally.

The St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service was an initiative started by Villanova’s President, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, upon his inauguration in 2006.

It is part of the University’s St. Thomas of Villanova Celebration, honoring its patron saint—the 16th century Augustinian bishop of Valencia, Spain—known for his great charity to the poor and marginalized.

"Every year, we have the privilege to watch thousands of Villanovans, both on campus and all around the country, come together to serve the greater community," said Collin Brunnock '20, student chair of the 2019 St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service. "It is truly a pleasure to watch so many make an impact and ignite change."

One of the largest single-day service events in the region, the St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service builds upon the service performed throughout the year by the Villanova community.

In addition to participating in weekly outreach opportunities at Philadelphia-area social service and charitable organizations, Villanovans participate in a wide variety of long-term mentoring and service break experiences, as well as ongoing Habitat for Humanity home building projects.

The 2019 St. Thomas of Villanova Celebration will begin on Thursday, Sept. 19, with the annual St. Thomas of Villanova Lecture, which is free and open to the public.

Held at 6 p.m. in the Villanova Room of the Connelly Center on the University’s main campus, the lecture will feature New York Times best selling author Martin Ganda '07 CLAS, whose book “I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives” is the 2019-20 selection for the University’s One Book Villanova community reading program.

The book is a compelling dual memoir in which Martin and co-author Caitlin Alifirenka recount how they became best friends—and better people—through their long distance exchange.

The St. Thomas of Villanova Celebration also includes Donation Nation, a community collection providing the opportunity for Villanova students, faculty and staff to assist organizations that are partners for the Day of Service with their efforts to address critical needs in the community. The donation of items such as canned and dry goods, school supplies and educational materials, as well as toiletries and baby supplies will be delivered as part of the Day of Service.