Trocaire College awarded $425,000 grant from Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to support Catholic education

Trocaire College, a private, Catholic college providing a pathway for students to build careers of achievement and lives of purpose, was awarded a $425,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to fund the Western New York Catholic Education Support Initiative. This two-year pilot program would be a collaborative effort to create a future where all Catholic learners have access to a supported, stable framework of services throughout their education.

“After having various discussions with local Catholic education stakeholders, it became clear that Catholic schools, particularly at the elementary level, are facing a pressing challenge to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population and their families,” said Dr. Bassam Deeb, president, Trocaire College. “As an opportunity college, we understand that sometimes our students need wrap around and support services to help them thrive along their academic pathway. This collaborative initiative will bring that support to the elementary level, to ensure students and families have earlier access to needed resources.”

Trocaire College will lead this pilot program with the goal of supporting a thriving, cohesive, and enduring Catholic education system in the region. The initiative will provide services that align with the cultural, linguistic, and economic realities of individual communities and offer support in crisis response, grief, housing instability, mental health navigation, and more. In addition, the project will look to connect students and families with appropriate resources and seek the input of existing, successful family support centers in the local public-school sectors.

“This partnership strengthens our ability to meet students and families where they are,” said Joleen Dimitroff, superintendent of Catholic elementary schools. “We are deeply grateful to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for its investment and to Trocaire College for its leadership in expanding access to critical supports that help every child flourish academically, emotionally, and spiritually within our Catholic schools.”

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, one of the largest foundations in the United States and the largest foundation focused exclusively on healthcare across New York State, provides grants to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of diverse communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services.