What began as a pilot program introduced at the 2019 Alleluia Ball has evolved into an important source of tuition assistance for many students attending Catholic schools in the Diocese of Cleveland.
Fund a Dream donors were invited to a special thank-you lunch hosted by Bishop Edward Malesic on May 16 in the cathedral rectory. About 40 people attended.
(See photo gallery above.)
Lorraine Dodero, who chaired the Alleluia Ball when the funding initiative was unveiled and continues to guide Fund a Dream, updated the group on its successes. Ten schools participated the first year. Although that number has grown to 33 schools, she said the plan is to include all Catholic schools in the diocese – elementary and high school. Students selected for the program receive a $2,500 scholarship. During the 2022-2023 school year, 210 students from 33 schools were served. A total of $3.7 million was distributed.
However, of the 9,000 students who applied for assistance, only about 4,000 could be helped.
“Your support is why we’re here today,” she told the donors after they enjoyed lunch. “This is a passion for me.”
Dodero, who is active with numerous philanthropic causes, said she finds those supporting children to be the most fulfilling.
“There are a lot of reasons why families can’t send their children – or all of their children – to a Catholic school,” she said. Fund a Dream often makes the difference, helping parents see that there is a way to afford a Catholic education
“We want to take this program (Fund a Dream) to the next level,” Dodero said.
There are several funding streams for the Catholic schools, including the new Angel Scholarship Fund, which supports Catholic education through a state income tax credit. This program, introduced in 2022, raised $4.5 million in its first year. Diocesan officials hope to increase that amount. Funds can be directed to any Catholic school in the diocese. Individual participants receive a 100% income tax credit of up to $750 against their state tax liability. The amount doubles for a couple.
While this program is an important funding source for the schools, Dodero said unlike Fund a Dream, there is no connection with a student.
“Fund a Dream donors have a connection with the student(s) they help. They receive notes or cards from the children and may be invited to the school for a Mass or a meeting,” Dodero said.
She shared excerpts from notes she received from several of the students she and her husband Bill support through Fund a Dream. One young man, a high school senior, is from a family of 12 children. He and his twin brother plan to attend Ohio Wesleyan University next fall. He expressed his gratitude for the Doderos’ support.
Another -- one of six children -- promised to pray for the Doderos and their family. Yet another, a high school freshman whose mother died recently, wrote that she lives with her maternal aunt and cousins and was thankful for the support that allowed her to attend a Catholic high school.
And another student, the oldest of nine, has a 4.5 grade point average, is active in cross country and plans to attend Walsh University in the fall.
“These are students who likely wouldn’t have been able to attend Catholic schools. This is what drives us to push the program forward,” Dodero said, noting school principals are very supportive.
“Thank you for your generosity and your willingness to support these children,” she said.
Bishop Malesic told the group that Catholic schools are an excellent form of evangelization.
“We have these children five days a week and teach them what it means to be Catholic, to be free of prejudice, to offer them a safe environment. We’re teaching them to be solid citizens and showing then what it means to be a good, faithful Catholic,” the bishop said.
He recalled visiting an inner city Catholic elementary school last year he celebrated Mass for pupils in grades K-2. Most students weren’t Catholic and he admitted he wasn’t sure what to expect. However, he was pleasantly surprised to find the children were respectful, quiet, knew when to sit, stand and kneel and they participated.
“We have children with little or no faith background who come to us for an education. They’re coming from nothing and we offer them something. They feel safe. We’re family,” he said.
And sometimes that leads to conversions. He noted that St. Hilary Parish in Fairlawn welcomed 12 young people to the faith at the Easter Vigil.
Frank O’Linn, superintendent of diocesan schools, shared some good news with the group.
“For the second consecutive year, enrollment is up in our schools. This is only the second time since the 1960s we could say that,” he noted. O’Linn said Catholic schools are important because they offer formation in faith and the whole person.
“Thanks to programs like Fund a Dream, we’ve been able to keep a Catholic education within reach for many families,” he said, segueing to the Keeping the Faith initiative for Catholic elementary schools. KTF was launched in January by Bishop Malesic with the goal of keeping the diocesan schools “irresistibly Catholic, academically excellent, operationally sound and widely available for those who want them,” O’Linn said.
KTF evolved from a letter about Catholic education that was sent in 2018 to then-Bishop Nelson Perez by Father John Betters, pastor of SS. Robert and William and St. John of the Cross parishes in Euclid. SS. Robert and William has a school. Father Betters was appointed by Bishop Malesic as his liaison to the initiative.
Tracey Arnone, assistant superintendent of schools, told the group that the Catholic high schools in the diocese have a 99% graduation rate and several schools have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence over the years.
“We believe in the Keeping the Faith plan,” she said, noting a major component is attracting, developing and retaining leadership in the schools. The plan also is looking at various forms of school governance and ways to keep the schools affordable, including programs like Fund a Dream.
Patrick Grace, executive director of the Catholic Community Foundation, which fosters faith-based stewardship in the community, said Fund a Dream donors are assigned a student who remains with them as long as they participate in the program. If the student graduates from high school, they are assigned a new student to assist.
He expressed his gratitude to those who have supported Fund a Dream and reinforced the importance of the program adding, “We hope to double the number of students we can help.”
Click here for more information on Fund a Dream, including a short video from a student beneficiary. To participate in Fund a Dream, click here.
Details on the Angel Scholarship Fund can be found here.
For more information on Keeping the Faith, click here.