It’s Never Too Early to Start Giving Back

When Jonathan Rendak of the class of 2005 heard about the “Fabric of America” program introduced by BP this year, which allows most employees of BP America to request a company donation of up to $500 for a deserving organization of their choice, he immediately thought of his alma mater, St. Rita of Cascia High School.  

Rendak, originally of the Garfield-Ridge area of Chicago, is currently a Junior at Purdue University, majoring in Chemical Engineering.  While at St. Rita, he was an 8-time Heeney Award winner, meaning he had straight A’s all through high school.   

Rendak said, “I’ve had an internship with BP for two semesters now, and they made us aware of this fall’s initiation of the Fabric of America Fund, and I started to think about who I could recommend for this $500 donation.  It didn’t take long for me to realize that St. Rita would be a great place for BP to give back to.  I wanted to help ensure that current students got the same great education that I did.” 

So, at the beginning of his winter break, Rendak showed up on campus with a $500 check and asked to see Fr. Tom McCarthy.  Imagine his pleasant surprise when he heard about what Rendak had arranged with his employer.

“Jonathan was always a great student and an involved member of the community while he was here,” Fr. Tom said, “and it’s wonderful to see that he is still a true Ritaman, who takes the time to think of the school and its mission." 

While BP’s Fabric of America program is unique, many companies offer matching gifts when their employees donate to the charity of their choice.