Christian Benford brings reading, mentorship to Baltimore school students

Randallstown native Christian Benford brought his Baltimore roots back home at Villa Maria School, spending April 24 with students in a visit built around reading, confidence and time in small groups, not a quick photo stop.

The Buffalo Bills defensive back came through his 47 Hearts Foundation and spent the day reading with children, sharing lunch and joining outdoor activities that included football at the Catholic special school in Timonium. Catholic Charities of Baltimore says Villa Maria School serves day and residential students in grades K-8 with emotional disabilities, with classrooms capped at nine students.

That setting made Benford’s visit more personal than a standard celebrity appearance. Instead of a brief handshake line, Benford moved from one small group to another, giving students time with an NFL player who grew up in Baltimore County and has kept returning to support local causes. The point, school and foundation leaders said, was mentorship as much as entertainment.

Catholic Charities of Baltimore operates more than 80 programs at 200 locations across Maryland, and its Villa Maria School program fits into that broader service network. The organization’s news page now highlights Benford’s visit, underscoring how the school is using outside partners to reinforce what happens in the classroom: reading practice, encouragement and adult attention that can change how a child sees school.

Benford’s foundation describes itself as a 501(c)(3) application pending organization focused on helping young people and families in need. Its priorities include fighting hunger and food insecurity, helping people experiencing homelessness, providing summer camps and educational programs, and supporting foster care youth and their families.

The Villa Maria stop also fits a pattern for Benford. In March 2026, WBAL-TV reported that he volunteered at Baltimore Station, where he helped serve lunch to veterans in need and donated $1,000. Benford released the children’s book Stylish Safari in March 2025, extending that same youth-focused message beyond one afternoon in Baltimore County.

For Baltimore families, the value of the visit was straightforward: a hometown athlete came back, sat with children who need steady support and showed that reading can share the stage with football. In a city where outside attention often comes and goes, Benford used his visibility to make the hours count.