When the COVID-19 pandemic closed school buildings across the country last spring, teachers, families, and students anxiously wondered how they could possibly teach and learn from home. More than that, many low-income students had relied on their schools for meals, support, and other important services. When school buildings closed, some people felt like their whole world was collapsing.

In the midst of such chaos, Josh Hale, president and CEO of Big Shoulders Fund, sprung into action. The Chicago-based nonprofit supports 72 inner-city Catholic schools and more than 20,000 students—80 percent of whom are minorities and 66 percent of whom live in low-income households. Big Shoulders Fund’s mission is to keep Catholic schools open and thriving so they can provide quality values-based education to all students, regardless of their financial situation. When the pandemic hit, its mission became even more critical.

“We really listened to what [the schools’] needs were,” Hale says. “[Big Shoulders Fund] tried to respond to whatever they were looking for.”

Some schools needed Chromebooks. Others needed help setting up meal distribution sites for their families. Others became community support sites, giving away clothing and PPE and eventually administering COVID-19 tests. True to its mission, Big Shoulders Fund helped facilitate it all.

Offering such support during this challenging time was more than just Hale’s 9-to-5 job. It was his faith in action.