Scholarship foundation helps low-income students

Each weekday at 6:45 a.m. sharp, these students take the bus to a school that’s an hour away.

“It’s great, but I don’t like waking up in early in the morning,” said seventh grader Anna.

Thanks to the late Dr. Sergio Cruz, they get an early start as they go from Arcadia to Port Charlotte to get an education.

“Dr. Cruz was a very philanthropic person,” said Michael Morse, Executive Director of the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida. “He was passionate about his Catholic faith, and he was passionate about his mother and his family, and he started with a goal and a vision and a dream, and that was to be able to create a scholarship fund in honor of his mother to help children, specifically Hispanic children, go to Catholic schools.”

It’s a dream Father John Fitch turned into a reality, welcoming over 70 students from Desoto County this year.

“It’s humbling for me as a pastor, but certainly a blessing to be able to see because everyone wants to pursue their own American dream, and this is an opportunity for them to do that. So couldn’t be more thrilled about it. It’s probably the best thing that I’ve done as a priest and pastor here at St. Charles,” said Fitch.

An education at no cost with free transportation to and from school.

It’s a huge help to the families, but even more for the students to stay focused on their futures.

“The first year I came, my mom was really proud of me because my grades went up like a lot, and yeah, she’s just happy here,” said seventh grader Ashley.

And the word has spread, so this school is only expecting more to come.

“This new bus seats 71 students, and we’re just about every seat is filled. So yeah, we do anticipate continued growth. So we may have to look at a second bus going to Arcadia next year,” said Fitch.

And every year, money will be made available from the foundation, so that more and more students can go to St. Charles.