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As of this fall, about 2,900 supporters have given $1.6 million to support the University’s emergency funds—special resources set up to help students, faculty, and staff affected by the pandemic.

The total includes donations that span $10 to $100,000 and includes support from students, parents, alumni, community members, and organizations.

Additionally, hundreds of people and companies have made thousands of in-kind donations—from boxes of latex gloves to dozens of hospital beds to bins full of face masks to pallets of personal protective equipment.

Molly Morrison, the director of international student engagement and associate director of advising services, says the emergency support for students was especially helpful in the early months of the pandemic.

The money helps pay for students to travel home, to cover temporary storage costs, and to get laptops for online learning as well as to support dining accounts for students who need additional funds, particularly as the pandemic extended into the summer and fall.

“[It’s] increasingly important to have a resource like the emergency fund,” Morrison says. “We need a way to support those who don’t have any other options.”