With the pressures of COVID-19, these are difficult times for all. The Friedman School community has been resilient, coming together to address immediate problems, such as the abrupt transitions to remote learning, suspension of clinical and human subjects research, and shifting of other major research and public impact activities online.
The COVID-19 crisis has also created major new challenges for many of our students, including:
- Unexpected acute financial hardships and food insecurity, due to loss of personal or spousal income as well as new expenses.
- Major new financial aid needs to continue their education.
- Loss of internship opportunities and support.
These challenges are creating unprecedented strains. To help address these acute needs, we are launching the Friedman School Emergency Fund, which will provide much needed resources to flexibly support these unexpected hardships, essential student financial aid, and internship coordination and support.
To help the school assist students affected by the COVID-19 crisis, a generous volunteer leader has issued a matching challenge for the Friedman School Emergency Fund. She will match dollar for dollar—up to $350,000—gifts or pledges made to the fund by June 30, 2020.
If you are able to help our students get through this difficult period, we would greatly appreciate your gift to Friedman School Emergency Fund. Your support will help the hardest-hit members of our community, allow us to maintain and expand critical financial aid, and help preserve essential student career experiences
With the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, nutrition science and policy and the work of the Friedman School are as important as ever. In the global battle against this pandemic, food and nutrition are key elements that can’t be neglected.
Our special strength in multi-disciplinary, translational work is especially crucial now to understand and address multiple imperatives. This crisis poses remarkable challenges for hunger, food security, supply chains, and disparities.
How does this crisis relate directly to the work we do at the school?
- We have yet to truly discover the potential immune system benefits of specific foods and nutrients to treat COVID-19.
- The major diet-sensitive comorbidities of cardiovascular disease and diabetes that increase risk of death with COVID-19 have a strong correlation with diet and equitable access to healthy foods.
- The rapid disruption of national and global food supply chains and labor markets require major shifts in a short amount of time to create new systems that can better serve the public.
- The current and ongoing acute humanitarian crises, both regional and global, require the best minds in the field and continued community building to conduct effective evaluation and responses.
A hallmark of the Friedman School is our commitment to each other and to those around us. With your generous support to the Friedman School Emergency Fund, we will ensure that the School rises to meet this crisis together.