Taking their cue from the life and work of St. Vincent de Paul, the 17th century French saint known as the "Apostle of Charity," DePaul University students, faculty, staff and alumni will fan out across the city to do charity work as part of its seventh annual Vincentian Service Day on May 1.

Approximately 1,000 volunteers – students, faculty, staff and alumni – will take part in community service projects across the city and suburbs. They will join together to perform more than 4,000 hours of community service at 27 different sites around Chicago. The goal for the day is to engage with the community and build relationships with neighborhoods through acts of service.

The 2004 Vincentian Service Day is dedicated to the Rev. John P. Minogue, DePaul University’s president, who will be stepping down after the academic year, and his legacy of community service.

An indefatigable advocate for students and the university’s Vincentian mission, Minogue is particularly proud that during his presidency the Princeton Review twice named DePaul’s students the happiest in the nation. He devoted many hours to students, often joining them in community service and leadership projects. During Minogue’s administration, DePaul became the largest Catholic university in the nation, and building capacity has been the hallmark of his presidency. He led efforts to expand access to high-quality, holistic education for a diverse student population.

A kick-off rally at 9:45 a.m. at the DePaul Athletic Center, 2323 N. Sheffield Ave., will start the day. Media availability at volunteer sites will be from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The volunteers will take part in a variety of projects this year. Among the sites are:

- Lincoln Park Zoo, 2200 N. Cannon Drive: Volunteers, including Minogue, will help clean and assist with maintenance in some of the animal habitats, as well as with gardening tasks around and outside the zoo.

- Washington Park, 5531 S. King Drive.: Volunteers will clean and paint the field house and assist with cleaning and gardening tasks in the park.

- Byrd Community Elementary School, 363 W. Hill St.: Participants will help teachers to clean their classrooms and perform maintenance tasks.

- REST (Residents for Effective Shelter Transitions), 941 W. Lawrence Ave.: Volunteers will be cleaning and organizing the incoming donations area of this organization, which provides shelter and assists with transitions to permanent housing for the homeless.

In addition to these sites, DePaul’s Naperville campus is planning to assist DuPage P.A.D.S., a local homeless advocacy agency and the O’Hare campus will host a volunteer service projects on May 15 for the Des Plaines Food Pantry.

"This will be an exciting day to celebrate Father Minogue’s years of service, and his interaction with the students and community," said Greg Stolhand, DePaul University Vincentian Service Day coordinator. "The work that we do on our service days makes a real difference to many people in Chicago."

DePaul is the largest private university in Chicago and the country’s seventh-largest private university. DePaul was founded in 1898 by the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers (the Congregation of the Mission), a Roman Catholic religious community that continues the mission and values of Vincent de Paul.