LASALLIAN
VISIONS
BROTHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS H DISTRICT OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA
SCHOLARSHIP FUND CHANGES LIVES
MAY 2017 • NO. 19
New Partnerships Help Fund Grow True to its name, the Saint John Baptist de La Salle Fund makes a Lasallian Catholic education possible for youths whose families would not have been able to afford it. Many parties work together to make this happen. The Brothers of the District made the decision several years ago to begin and grow this fund to help those most in need here in our District. Our Lasallian educators at each of the recipient schools work to ensure that these funds will be directed where they can make the most impact on the lives of deserving students. Most recently, members of our Lasallian family have begun to step forward to help the fund grow at an even faster rate through their support. Donors like Paul (WC ’53) and Marie (WC ’53) Berenato have realized that the Scholarship Fund will help solidify the future. “The Brothers are just amazing men. The experience we had through our Christian Brothers education was a major influence in making us who we are today.” remembers Paul.
“When this opportunity came up, we knew we had to be involved – to ensure that the mission of the Brothers to educate the young, with special care for the poor, continues to remain strong. It is a way to pay-it-forward.” The Fund has begun to make significant progress in its growth. While this year awards were made totaling $668,000, the Trustees have recently approved a distribution for the 2017-18 school year of nearly $750,000. The Brothers realize that the Fund must remain steady because student recipients rely on these scholarships to remain in school. To ensure that the year-to-year grant amounts to the schools do not fluctuate drastically because of market changes, the Brothers use a distribution formula that uses the average of the total Fund value from the past three years.
West Catholic Preparatory High School has evolved to meet the needs of a more diversified student population.
One unique aspect of the Fund is that the scholarships are available to schools throughout the District of Eastern North America that serve students with the greatest unmet financial hardship. However, since Lasallian schools vary greatly, recipient schools are given latitude in how the funds are distributed. (continued on page 3) The young men of St. Raymond High School receive a quality Lasallian Catholic education in the Bronx.