May 2020
Greetings!

Everyone at Holy Family hopes that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. COVID-19 has completely uprooted the Class of 2020's final semester and the traditional Commencement activities that they have looked forward to.

Today, we are asking YOU, our Alumni, to help us give the Class of 2020 the warmest welcome into our Alumni Family!

If you'd like to participate, please send one of the following to alumni@holyfamily.edu no later than next Friday, May 22 :

  • A short video (less than 30 seconds) of you saying your name, class year(s), wishes for their future, and "Welcome to Holy Family's Alumni Family!"

  • A photo or selfie of you with this printable sign or something similar with your name, class year(s), wishes for their future, and "Welcome to Holy Family's Alumni Family!"

  • Simple text of well-wishes that include your name and class year(s).

All submissions will be arranged into a special video that will be sent to all members of the Class of 2020 and featured on the Alumni Website.

Thank you in advance for your participation!
Tigers on the Loose
Online Auction June 1-5
On May 7, more than 250 alumni and friends were expected to celebrate Holy Family University and to raise critical funds for student financial aid at Tigers on the Loose, Holy Family's annual scholarship celebration. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Holy Family was forced to cancel this year’s event.

However, fundraising continues to help make a Holy Family education accessible to all students. For the first time, an Online Auction will be held on June 1-5. You can register now and preview the items available to bid on.

Thank you in advance for your generous bids! Due to the Coronavirus crisis, we anticipate an unprecedented increase in the financial aid need of our students. In the coming months, they and their families will rely on Holy Family more than ever before to help them continue their education.

Please enjoy this video featuring the co-chairs of the Tigers on the Loose Committee and some of our grateful scholarship recipients.
Holy Family receives $2 million in CARES Act funding
As a result of the CARES Act, Holy Family has received $2 million in federal funding that will be distributed to students in need and also help reimburse the University for unforeseen expenses related to COVID-19.

Holy Family qualified for this large amount because 97% of the student population relies on Pell grants and financial aid.

All students have been contacted with instructions to apply for this relief in the form of emergency financial aid grants up to $1,500 for unplanned expenses related to disruption of campus operations due to Coronavirus, including food, housing, technology, course materials, healthcare and childcare expenses. 
Alumni Social Media Highlights
The Alumni social media pages are filled with trivia, throwback photos and posts of fellow Holy Family Alumni doing great things! In case you missed it or if you aren't on social media, below are some of the highlights featured within the last month:

  • 30th Anniversary of Kellagher Walk on Campus William "Bill" Kellagher '90 was a Holy Family student, unlike many others. On its 30th Anniversary, we revisited Bill's incredible story in the pursuit of learning, and how his classmates from the Class of 1990 created the Kellagher Walk that still exists on campus. Read the full story here.

  • Tim Lynch '17 was recently appointed Chief of Fire & Emergency Services for West Windsor, NJ. Read the full story here.

  • Sister Lauretta Matusik, CSFN, '58, our oldest living alumna, turned 98 years young on May 1st. Fellow alumni and former students and friends joined together to wish her a Happy Birthday! Read more here.

  • WTLN, Holy Family's closed-circuit radio station from 1979 - 1988, was the topic of Trivia Tuesday and Throwback Thursday. Alumni shared fond memories of WTLN's daily broadcasts to the 'Canteen', the former cafeteria before the Campus Center.

  • Allen Zelno ’16 spent Nurses Day at the White House! Allen was nominated by the Catholic Medical Association after learning that he obtained a 19,000-pound donation of snacks, coffee, and well-wishes from Operation Gratitude for his colleagues at St. Luke's University Health Network. Read the full story here.

  • Krista Zerkow '13 was featured in "The 215 Project - Celebrating Women That Make Philly Great" Read the story here.

Follow the Alumni Office on social media using the links below and send alumni news and photos to: alumni@holyfamily.edu for future posts!
Middle States Update
Holy Family is actively preparing for the reaffirmation of accreditation by the Middle States Commission for Higher Education (MSCHE), generally referred to as Middle States.

This committee has compiled a Self-Study document, which provides evidence of compliance with the MSCHE Standards, reviews the areas of compliance that need strengthening, and makes recommendations for further institutional improvement. 

All alumni are encouraged contribute to the self-study.
Alumni Benefits & Services:
Insurance Discounts
Through our partners at Meyer & Associates, Holy Family Alumni and their families have special access to discounted and attractively-priced insurance products from a variety of carriers including:

  • Auto, Home & Renters Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Accidental Death Insurance
  • Long Term Care Insurance
  • Long Term Disability Insurance
  • Travel Insurance
  • Pet Insurance
  • Identity Theft Protection
  • Small Business Insurance
  • Advisory Services
  • Medicare Health Exchange
  • Real Estate Referral Program.

COVID-19 has prompted many to take a closer look at their insurance coverage in order to protect their most important assets. For a quote, visit HFU.meyerandassoc.com or contact Meyer and Associates at 800-635-7801.
They Need You!
They need you now, more than ever before. With the impact of COVID-19 and the uncertainties that our students and their families are facing, your support of the Blue & White Fund is critical. Your generosity will truly transform lives by providing our students with the financial aid they need to continue their Holy Family education this upcoming fall, and ultimately, realize their dream of earning a college degree.

To support current students by making your gift online, please click here . 

For more information, please contact Christina Bender, Director of Annual Giving, at cbender@holyfamily.edu or 267-341-3017.
Save the Date:
Alumni Weekend 2020
Alumni Weekend, including Reunion 2020 and Homecoming , will be held on October 2-3, whether we can come together on campus or through events held online due to COVID-19.

Please save the dates and encourage your classmates to do the same. If you would like to get involved and serve as a class representative, please let us know.

Stay tuned for detailed information and registration for all Alumni Weekend events over the summer.

In the meantime, check out photos from past Homecoming and Reunion events on Flickr.