Nov 10, 2021

The power to change a life. This is what the Franciscan Center for Social Concern (FCSC) at St. Bonaventure University brings to light through its many outreach ministries.

On Tuesday, Nov. 30, the FCSC will host its fourth annual #GivingTuesdayatBonas fundraising initiative.

The 24-hour crowdfunding event aims to raise $50,000 for social justice, advocacy and service programs on campus.

“Donations made to #GivingTuesdayatBonas allow students the opportunity to put their Franciscan values to work in the local community,” said Alice Miller Nation, director of the FCSC. “For example, every gift ensures that our students are able to continue creating warm and nutritious meals at the Warming House or that they have the resources to engage area youths in fun and informative activities through Bona Buddies.”

Miller Nation noted that the FCSC provides service experiences, leadership opportunities and internships that help transform students into community-conscious citizens.

“I am often inspired by the many ways our students reach out to others in the community and how they take the time to learn from them,” Miller Nation said. “Their service changes lives, including their own.”

Several time-honored programs will benefit from the event, including: Bona Buddies, a youth mentoring program; Silver Wolves, which connects students with elderly residents at a local assisted-living home; Warming House, the nation’s oldest student-run soup kitchen; the Food Pantry, which offers a variety of fresh, frozen, refrigerated and canned/boxed food items to members of the community; and Farm to Table, a summer program providing students hands-on experience with sustainable agriculture and service.

“When you make a gift during #GivingTuesdayatBonas, you are investing in the many people whose lives are changed by these programs,” said Miller Nation.

The community is invited to visit www.sbu.edu/GivingTuesdayatBonas now through Nov. 30 to donate and to use #GivingTuesdayatBonas on all social media channels to help spread the word. For more information or to make a gift by phone, please contact SBU’s Advancement Services at (716) 375-2364.

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good.