Villanova University will send more than 4,000 volunteers to over 100 service sites on Saturday, Sept. 19, for its 21st annual Day of Service.

The event, staged from the Lower Merion Township campus, places students, faculty, staff, alumni and their families at food pantries, community farms, local schools and care facilities across the Greater Philadelphia area, The Villanovan reported. The university calls it one of the Delaware Valley's largest single-day service initiatives, according to an Aug. 25 press release.

Volunteers will gather in Villanova Stadium early Saturday morning before boarding 90 buses to their assigned sites. Planning started months ago.

Student chair Maddy Scoblick, a senior, took the lead in January. Directors were chosen in February, and the broader committee assembled in early March. Because the event falls so early in the academic year, much of the organizing happened over the summer through Zoom and Teams calls.

Claire Bucca, director of community engagement for the Day of Service committee, said the stadium send-off changed her perspective on the event's scale. "It wasn't just my small orientation group doing something nice for a morning," Bucca said. "It was the whole University coming together at once."

Logistics co-directors Rica Monaghan and Lauren Liberti are coordinating the 90-bus operation. Service-site co-directors Gavin Mote and Hailey Harris have been communicating with each of the 100-plus partner organizations to confirm registration and materials.

Senior Oliver Lopez holds a new position this year, director of partnerships. His subcommittee has been conducting site visits to better understand the communities Villanova serves. The university said its community logs nearly 250,000 hours of service work annually.

In a Sept. 9 preview in The Villanovan, sophomore Brianna Robinson said she was looking forward to volunteering with the Black Student Union, calling it a chance to give back while building closer ties within the group.

After the service day, a separate event will invite site partners back to campus for a panel and lunch with the committee. A Donation Nation drive collecting non-perishable goods and school supplies is scheduled for Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Connelly Center, according to the university's event page.

Upcoming community events

  • Saturday, Sept. 19: Villanova Day of Service, departing Villanova Stadium
  • Friday, Sept. 25: Free outdoor screening of "Hocus Pocus" in Bala Cynwyd
  • Saturday, Oct. 10: Craftivism event with Ali Terese at Gladwyne Library