The donation came from philanthropists Melissa Layton and Emily Wright and will help fund the expansion of the program which connects students to essential resources.

“As we learned about the CARE Hub and how it kept students in classes that have come up against difficulties as small as needing gas for the week or as big as needing a place to live, it just hit home that this is a need that we could help with,” Layton said in a news release. “This is the place, these are the students, this program is amazing, and I knew that this was something that we really did want to be involved in.”

The donation was announced during UVU’s annual CARE About Families Luncheon at the Young Living Alumni Center on Wednesday. Community partners, donors, alumni and campus leaders gathered for a program about strengthening student stability and advancing the CARE Hub mission, according to the news release.

CARE Hub director Amber McGruie spoke about UVU’s commitment to helping students succeed in their studies by ensuring their basic needs are met, and UVU’s Vice President of Student Affairs, Michelle Kearns, discussed the growing challenges facing UVU students, the school said.

“For many of our students, the difference between staying enrolled and stepping away isn’t grades; it’s groceries,” Kearns said in the news release. “It’s child care. It’s a safe place to sleep. It’s knowing someone will help when life becomes overwhelming.”

Beyond Layton and Wright’s donation, the event raised more than $35,600, the school said. Community members are invited to contribute to the CARE Hub fund to help students have access to food, emergency resources, housing support and stability.