College of Medicine to raise student emergency assistance funds on GivingTuesday
Penn State will celebrate its eleventh GivingTuesday on Dec. 2 — and the College of Medicine invites alumni and friends to be a part of the event by making a gift to support students through the college’s emergency assistance funds and the Lion’s Pantry, its free, on-campus food pantry.
Medical school is one of the most demanding and transformative journeys a student can undertake. Yet even the most dedicated and resilient students are not immune to life’s unexpected challenges—whether it’s a sudden illness, family emergency, housing crisis or financial hardship. These disruptions can derail academic progress, increase stress and in some cases, force students to pause or abandon their studies altogether.
The goal of the College of Medicine’s GivingTuesday campaign, “Roar Forward: Nourishing the Lions of Medicine,” is to help ensure that students have access to essential resources during times of crisis. The College of Medicine emergency assistance funds—the Heather Skonier-Baer Endowment (for medical students) and the Christine Bruce Physician Assistant Fund—help students address unexpected hardships that threaten their success and well-being—from replacing broken eyeglasses to paying rent to avoid eviction. Additionally, the Lion’s Pantry helps students in need access nutritious food.
For one student who received support, the emergency assistance fund lifted a huge weight off his shoulders by paying to get his laptop repaired.
“The kindness of this community came just when I had no clear solution,” he said. “Their generosity helped me stay focused on my studies. I fully intend to give back to this fund once I graduate and am receiving a steady paycheck.”
True to Penn State GivingTuesday tradition, the celebration is kicking off early on Monday, Dec. 1, at 18:55 (6:55 p.m. EST) — a nod to the year in which the University was founded. Those interested in contributing to the College of Medicine’s “Roar Forward: Nourishing the Lions of Medicine” campaign before December can make an early gift on Penn State’s GivingTuesday event page.
“When only a few hundred dollars can make the difference between a student staying in school and giving up on their Penn State dream, every gift to a College of Medicine emergency assistance fund or the food pantry matters,” said Dr. Emmanuelle Williams, the associate dean for student affairs. “Your GivingTuesday gift will help College of Medicine students weather personal crises and stay on the path to becoming skilled, dedicated health care professionals.”
Gifts made on GivingTuesday advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.
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