Sue Paterno has donated $100,000 to help Penn State students facing financial and other needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All of our lives have been changed and challenged by the far-reaching effects of COVID-19,” Paterno said in a statement. “No one can foresee how our students will be impacted, but we must do what we can to help them as they pursue their educational goals.”
According to the university, Paterno will give $50,000 to the Student Care & Advocacy Emergency Fund and $50,000 to Lion’s Pantry, the on-campus food bank which continues to provide assistance to students facing food insecurity even as Penn State has shifted to remote learning for the rest of the semester.
The university announced in March that gifts to the Student Care & Advocacy Emergency Fund will be made available to students at all Penn State campuses facing hardship as a result of the pandemic. More than 1,500 donors have given to the fund since then, Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Sims said.
Lion’s Pantry, which was founded in 2014, has increased its hours for the remainder of the spring semester and is currently open Mondays (2-4 p.m.), Tuesdays (9-11 a.m.), Thursdays (2-6 p.m.), Fridays (1-3 p.m.), and Saturdays (12-2 p.m.) for any Penn State student. It also offers a pre-bagged food pick-up program.
“Sue Paterno’s longtime leadership and advocacy on behalf of Penn State students have never been more needed than at this moment, when so many are facing serious personal, academic and financial impacts from COVID-19,” Penn State President Eric J. Barron said. “Through her gift, Sue not only becomes the most generous donor to date in our efforts to get support to these students as quickly as possible, she also creates an inspiring model for the entire Penn State community with her belief that we can rise to this challenge through our shared faith in our students and our shared hopes for their future.”
A longtime university benefactor and volunteer, Sue Paterno is a 1962 Penn State graduate. Along with her late husband, Joe Paterno, she has provided financial support to numerous academic and student support programs across the university, from leadership gifts to the University Libraries, College of the Liberal Arts and Paterno Fellows program to initiatives such as a summer program for students from underrepresented communities and an academic support center for student-athletes. The Paternos have been major supporters of myriad other philanthropies within and outside the university as well, such as THON and the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania
“At University Park and at campuses across the commonwealth, Penn State students have been integral members of our community,” Paterno said. “We look forward to the day we can welcome them back to their respective campuses. Our goal is to inspire others in the Penn State and local community to join in our efforts to assist students in unprecedented times of challenge.”
Contributions to the programs can be made at the Student Care & Advocacy Emergency Fund website or the Lion’s Pantry website.
