Villanova Bigs and Littles and New Directions exists for the sole purpose of providing long term friendship and support to the inner-city children who would otherwise be lacking in these vital areas. It is designed to provide relationships that meet the spiritual, social, and emotional needs of the children, as well as helping them to increase their sense of self worth. This is accomplished simply by acting as a positive influence for the children.

This program is run through Villanova's Campus Ministry by Irene King.  Please contact her at (610-519-4177) or email irene.king@villanova.edu.

Bigs and Littles

Who are the Bigs? Bigs are student volunteers from Villanova University who act as the role models to these impressionable youths. They are mentors who instill in these children the confidence, desire, and motivation needed to achieve their goals. When interested students apply for admittance into the program, they are informed of what it entails, and then interviewed by current Bigs as well as members of Villanova’s Campus Ministry. Following the two rounds of interviews, the new Bigs are chosen, contingent upon suitability.

Who are the Littles? Littles are children ranging in age from 7-12, who generally come from underprivileged homes in the Greys Ferry area of Philadelphia, and attend mass at St. Charles Borromeo Church. Some are having trouble in school, some at home, but they are just kids, and to all of them, this program is a privilege. These children truly need the attention, companionship, and solidarity of a Big Brother or Big Sister, with whom they can be comfortable, confide in, and ultimately be themselves.  

How does the program work? The principle contact with the children consists of one on one telephone calls, letter writing and visits, as well as several outings per semester for everyone in the program. The commitment is long-term. Each Big keeps their Little for the duration of their college career, and in some cases, for much longer. The majority of funding comes from fund-raising performed by everyone in the program with an annual subsidy through Villanova’s Campus Ministry, as this is a very costly program. As a bi-product of this endeavor, the sense of community among the Bigs is constantly strengthening and evolving.

New Directions

Who are the students? Students are underprivileged high school students of inner city Philadelphia. Many of these students are otherwise lacking sources of positive support. With this in mind, we aspire to encourage these teenagers to develop into well rounded, mature individuals through a series of fun and educational outings. The program is designed to nurture the relationships between all mentors and students in an attempt to meet the spiritual, social, and emotional needs of Philadelphia's youth. It is also meant to help them increase their sense of self worth. This is accomplished simply by acting as positive influences, earning their respect, and teaching by example!

Who are the mentors? The mentors are Villanova students who make monthly visits to St. Charles of Borromeo parish in South Philadelphia. At present there are 34 high school students and about 40 Villanova students. They interact with the children through various activities, such as outings to museums, visits to Villanova campus, study sessions.

This program is run through Villanova's Campus Ministry by Irene King.  Please contact her at (610-519-4177) or email irene.king@villanova.edu.