亲爱的慷慨捐赠者...

When the COVID-19 pandemic found its way to the border of UNC’s campus in March, the transition to remote 学习 was one of many concerns facing 学生. 在大学里 across the country, the burden of housing, employment and financial insecurity rocked UNC's student population and jeopardized plans that many had to complete their education 准时.

但随后博天堂官方的捐助者介入了.

什么开始作为一个小纸条在 President Feinstein’s spring update to alumni expanded to a full crowdfunding campaign during the first months of the pandemic's 影响. By July 2020, thousands of dollars had been raised by individual and organizational donors committed to helping UNC 学生 weather the financial uncertainty of COVID-19. Gifts came in from across the country and the average amount contributed during the 活动费用是97美元.

“We like to say that Bears Support Bears, but I was blown away by the immediate generosity of our donor community to support 学生 facing financial hardship,” says Kelsey Crane ’14, UNC’s assistant director of annual giving. “我们的捐助团体真的 stepped up and by supporting the UNC 赈灾基金, donors enabled UNC to direct additional financial support to 学生 during an incredibly difficult time.”

The pandemic, which intensified the financial hardship facing UNC 学生, resulted in income loss, housing changes, and new computer purchases needed for use in remote 学习. As all 学生 grappled with changes to college life, the bigger question 大学学费的问题开始浮出水面.

“The pandemic has certainly 影响ed everyone,” says Marty Somero, director of financial 援助. “For many of our 学生 it 影响ed them to the point of having to choose between continuing to attend UNC or helping their family make ends meet. 许多人被迫 to pick up extra work hours or having to scramble to look for new jobs as the pandemic forced layoffs or even full loss of employment.”

According to recent UNC student survey, 42.回答的学生中有5%表示有 increased financial 援助 need as a result of the pandemic.

“Honestly, in almost 40 years of working in financial 援助, I have never seen such 就像我们现在的极端需求一样. For many, the idea of attending UNC and obtaining a degree feels further away than ever,” says Somero.

Yet donors, through the UNC 赈灾基金 and other student support funds, 帮助解决这一需求.

“It has been amazing seeing the 影响 the 赈灾基金 has had on helping 博天堂官方的学生，”Somero分享道.  “奖 have ranged from fulfilling the simplest of needs such as helping a family get internet for the very first time so the student could complete their online courses; to help pay the cost of moving back home in order to take care of sick loved ones; to being able to put food on the table for themselves 或者他们的家人.”

While fund use and 影响 varied by student circumstance, one thing remained consistent, 感恩与希望.

In each student thank you note collected by Somero’s team, 学生 gratefully shared their appreciation for donor support and the 影响 that support has had on furthering 他们完成北卡大学教育的计划. And since the funds raised came from donors across the country, some of whom are anonymous, many 学生 began their note with a simple “亲爱的慷慨捐赠者” and went on to write about their families, their circumstances 甚至是他们的职业抱负. Each note is a personal reflection of the life and education touched by UNC’s donor community.

Crane hopes to carry the message of gratitude and community forward to UNC donors 当她准备发射时 给Bearnanza, a week-long campaign to support campus causes including additional support for the 赈灾基金. Launching on December 1 (Bear Tuesday) and running through December (科罗拉多捐赠日) the week long initiative will invite the Bear Community to continue their support for several student-oriented programs and funds.

“I think it is important that our donors realize that their gifts, gifts of every amount, directly support our 学生 and 援助 their academic completion,” says Crane. “You may live far from Greeley, but what the pandemic has taught us is that we remain a community connected and that your gift makes a difference.”