Dillon Hagy, of Allentown, an entrepreneurship and small business major at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, has been selected for the 2017 Foundation of Indiana University of Pennsylvania Community Volunteer Service Award.
Hagy, son of Scott Hagy and Robin Hagy, is a dean's list student and graduate of Emmaus High School. He previously served as the philanthropy chairman of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, overseeing the events to raise money to donate to Lou Gehrig Disease research. He is a member of the Future Entrepreneurs Club.
A United States Army veteran, is the founder and president of IUP's Military Philanthropic Organization. He decided to start the organization to help change the lives of fellow veterans.
After serving with the military in Afghanistan, Hagy said he understood the needs of numerous veterans, ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to homelessness. Having a passion for helping fellow soldiers, Hagy decided to start his own organization at IUP to give back to veterans.
He describes his volunteering philosophy as “pick your passion, and go give back.” He believes that there are various causes that benefit people, animals, and the environment. He believes that not one person can help all the causes, and individuals should not all focus on one cause.
During the fall 2016 semester, Hagy recruited 22 members for the organization. Some of the members are veterans or military affiliated; others are not. The group is a mixture of men and women.
The MPO has already provided help to veterans and military-affiliated families. Outreach efforts include raising $1,200 for a retired Marine's family to purchase a new iPad for autism therapy sessions and dance lessons for their daughter; raising $1,000 to purchase a new bed for a local veteran; and providing household items for a veteran who was a victim of local flooding. Hagy and the MPO have a goal to raise $3,000 to donate to the Wounded Warrior Family Support charity.
The group also is committed to doing hands-on work to make a difference in the lives of veterans and military-affiliated families. In September, the group did repairs on a home of a family of a deployed soldier.
The Foundation for IUP Community Service Volunteer Award recognizes both student volunteerism at IUP and the volunteer commitment of the Foundation for IUP board of directors. It was established in June 1998 in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Foundation for IUP. To be eligible for the award, students must be engaged in volunteer community service that exceeds any requirement for a class project, organizational membership, scholarship, or other obligatory circumstance.
The Foundation for IUP is an independent, nonprofit, charitable 501(c)(3) corporation, organized in 1967 to promote and support the educational purposes of IUP. The Foundation acts as the repository for private financial support and has fiduciary and legal responsibilities for the management, investment, and disbursement of the funds and for the conduct of all the organization's affairs.
The Foundation manages nearly $335 million in assets, approximately $59 million in endowed funds, and $238 million in real estate. The Foundation also accepts and maintains ownership of nonfinancial gifts, such as objects of art.