The Grove donates $5,000 to Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center
Funding Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center programs just got a little easier.
On Monday, representatives from The Grove apartment community presented a check for $5,000 to the Volunteer Center in the Bovee University Center.
“Community outreach is a cornerstone in our company,” said Michael Hartnett, chief investment officer of Campus Crest Communities, the development company building The Grove. “We’re not some developer who just builds apartments. We always try to engage students and encourage building communities.”
After presenting the check, office managers from The Grove and Volunteer Center student employees mingled and enjoyed a spread of sandwiches, cookies and beverages.
Additionally, The Grove brought gift bags full of pens, lip balm and a Grove head band to student staff at the center.
“We’re very thankful and glad they reached out to us,” said Shawna Ross, director of the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center. “We have alumni who donate all the time, but corporations donating to the center doesn’t happen very often."
Ross said the only other big business that assists the center financially is PNC Bank, which donates to the center’s tutor program.
“A large general donation is rare, but we’ll be putting funds to good use,” Ross said.
The Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center coordinates volunteer opportunities on campus and around the community. It also organizes the Alternative Breaks program that sends student across the country to help non-profit organizations.
