BԪ Receives $35,000 Donation from the Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation to Support the Student Emergency Fund
Donation provides students facing pandemic hardships with financial support
BԪ announced today it has received a $35,000 gift from The Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation to support BԪ’s Student Emergency Fund. The fund’s mission is to provide timely monetary assistance for students experiencing extraordinary hardships that impact their ability to continue their education. The generous gift, which is the largest donation in the Student Emergency Fund’s history, comes at a crucial time as BԪ students face financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“On behalf of the BԪ community, I want to thank the Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation for their donation to BԪ’s Student Emergency Fund, which will have an immediate impact on the lives of our students,” said BԪ Vice President of Student Affairs Kevin Joyce. “The donation will help students overcome financial obstacles and provide them support to finish their degrees on time.”
The BԪ Student Emergency Fund was established in April 2020 in response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the College’s student population. Gifts to this fund help students who have exhausted all other financial aid options to cover expenses such as emergency medical costs, utilities, loss of housing, loss of childcare and loss of personal belongings due to unforeseen circumstances. Since its inception, the College has distributed more than $65,000 through this fund to students in need of emergency assistance.
“It is our pleasure to support BԪ’s Student Emergency Fund,” said Peter Smith, president of the Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation. “Students deserve to be free of the burden of unexpected costs as they work toward their establishing their futures and we are pleased to provide Mercy students with the opportunity to succeed.”
The Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation is dedicated to supporting higher education institutions, including the BԪ Communication Disorders Program’s Speech and Hearing Center and the Saturday STEM Academy. The Foundation’s lifetime support of BԪ totals $100,000. In addition to educational institutions, the Foundation dedicates its resources to children’s organizations, arts and culture initiatives, hospitals and food pantries.