When Kentucky Beta Ashley Pershall decided to make her first P3 gift this year, she had a special motivation. Ashley, a third generation legacy, was a student at the University of Kentucky when Hurricane Katrina hit her hometown of New Orleans. “Our house flooded,” Ashley shared. “My parents lost so much.”

 

Ashley learned her home in Louisiana had taken in five feet of water, destroying much of the house and her family’s belongings. “When I heard about Katrina,” she recalled, “it was a surreal moment. I was one of five students at Kentucky from New Orleans. People didn’t know how to react to what we were going through.”

 

The costs to clean, repair and replace were high, leaving Ashley’s parents with little money left to keep their daughter in school. “I applied to the Emma Harper Turner Fund for help,” she explained. “The grant I received helped me stay in school and in Pi Phi.”

 

Ashley continued, “When I received that [EHT Fund] gift, I vowed to give back to the Foundation as soon as possible.” She made a generous P3 gift to the Friendship Fund so other Pi Phis receive help when they need it most. “I remember when I was in college learning about the Foundation and hearing a story about a family whose house burned down.” she said. “From my experience, I learned you don’t want to wait until it happens to you. I give because I want to make sure someone has that back-up, that support when you need it the most.”