About USD

Why Founder's Week?

As a Vincentian University, we celebrate University Service Day on or around the feast day of St. Vincent DePaul (September 27), whose compassion and zeal for service continues to inspire so many to work towards social justice and the reduction of poverty. This special day will kick off the start of St. John's University's Founder's Week, a week of events and programs dedicated to deepening our knowledge and understanding of our Vincentian heritage.  

How many people participate, and where is it held?

The first official University Service Day took place on September 28, 2002, with 123 volunteers at 12 different locations near the Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island campuses. The planning for that day began with the Service Opportunity Council, created in 1998 by the University Mission Council. Today, we continue our commitement to a University-wide annual day of service through the Office of the Executive Vice-President for Mission & Student Services. Last year, over 1,500 St. John's volunteers, made up of current students, alumni, faculty, staff and administrators from each of our campuses (in the United States and around the world), served in over 100 locations - and we hope to increase that number every year with your help! 

We look forward to working with you to show "What a Difference a Day Makes" as together we serve in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul!

 University Service Day Over the Years