Solidarity Fund (Memo U2021-055)

Creating a caring and compassionate community is part of the Ateneo DNA.  We believe that to live a more consequential life, it is necessary to go beyond ourselves and reach out to others and help form a truly connected community rooted in unconditional love, service, and shared values.  Building community – and keeping it intact, living, and thriving – is second nature to us, and this shines through particularly bright during times of crisis. 

We have all seen it time and time again: our students, employees, and academic personnel going above and beyond during times of need, whether it be storms, earthquakes, or times of social and political upheaval.

Especially during this pandemic, our community members have been committed in providing assurance, care, and support.  We have been unwavering in our efforts to strengthen our community and buttress each other up.  Many of our colleagues, through their own initiative, found ways to extend assistance to members of our community who have been severely affected by the pandemic.

Inspired by the generosity of our employees, the University is setting up a Solidarity Fund to augment the funds of the programs that provide health care for our employees and their dependents, including family members,[1] should they be afflicted with COVID. With this Solidarity Fund, we are also able to extend for another year starting 1 June 2021 up to 31 May 2022 the Financial Assistance Program for CoVID-19 Afflicted Employee- and Dependent-Members of the University Health Care Plan.

This Solidarity Fund will also receive donations from employees who wish to assist their co-employees. Employees can make their donations by filling out the form in this link: https://bit.ly/SolidarityFundDonationForm.  

Attached please find the Guidelines on the Solidarity Fund.

May we share the hope expressed by Pope Francis in his social encyclical Fratelli Tutti, that we recognize ourselves as sisters and brothers because we are children of God, one another’s keepers, everyone in the same boat, as this pandemic has made even more evident.

[1] Definition of family members is provided in the Guidelines on the Solidarity Fund, Section 1. Scope, 1.1 and 1.2.

SOLIDARITY FUND GUIDELINES (PDF) (Accessible with @ateneo.edu account)