Blue Hen parents Abrea and Scott Truskin have always supported the causes that matter to them, from education to aiding animals in need to helping environmental causes. So when their daughter, Allie, decided to attend the University of Delaware, the Truskin family knew they would be contributing to the University in some way.

The first obvious choice was the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, where Allie is currently a junior majoring in sport management and minoring in event management. If there was a way for the couple to help their daughter and her classmates have the best experience possible, they were eager to assist.

The Truskins reached out to the Office of Development and Alumni Relations to learn about other initiatives they could support. Today, the Truskins are active members of the Parent and Family Leadership Council (PFLC) and proudly support multiple initiatives across campus.

“When our daughter first started at UD, we decided we were going to see if we could assist somewhere in the college,” Scott Truskin said. “We reached out, we had a call and we also got involved with the Parent and Family Leadership Council. We liked what the Council was doing and wanted to get more involved. We feel that the more we learn, the more we do, the more we try to help where we can.”

The PFLC is a group of UD parents and families who work together to increase parent involvement and raise vital dollars for the Parents Fund, which provides the Division of Student Life with valuable resources to support its mission of advancing equity, fostering student development and creating an unparalleled student experience.

Serving on the PFLC has exposed the Truskins to a variety of initiatives across the University, including the Blue Hen Food and Supply Pantry. It was something they admittedly wouldn’t have known about otherwise, but as soon as they learned about the pantry, they were eager to help students in need.

“We started realizing what the University offered, and in some cases, what it didn't offer to students,” Abrea Truskin said. “That opened our eyes up to a lot of other things, too. And then one thing leads to another, and it goes to another, to another, and it just starts to come together.”

Of course, the PFLC isn’t the only way the Truskins hear about what’s going on at UD. They’re eager to support areas their daughter is involved in. Their philanthropy has funded bus trips for sport management students to visit the front offices of professional sports teams in New York City, and they have also supported Lerner students who have unpaid internships.

Outside of Lerner, the Truskins are strong supporters of Delaware Football, thanks to Allie, who interns with the team. The couple are also active members of Team 302, a group of alumni, parents and friends who help promote Athletic Department fundraising initiatives, encourage donations and provide feedback on project plans.

With the Athletic Department’s transition to Conference USA in full swing, support from the Truskin family has been vital for ensuring logistics are taken care of and student-athletes and coaches from all sports are poised for success.

For the Truskins, being so involved is vital to helping not only current and future students, but also to fostering a caring community that pays it forward.

“If you help the next person, maybe they'll help the next person,” Scott Truskin said. “That's the way it really should work. Giving your time is also donating. You give your time to Delaware, get on councils, help with meetings, find out what's going on, that's important, too. Everybody's insight helps mold the next steps.”

It’s all about doing whatever they can to help improve the UD experience for all Blue Hens. The Truskin family likes to help from the sidelines by learning about initiatives, donating and letting the University decide the best way to use the funds. When they hear about the experience made possible by their philanthropy and when they see pictures of smiling students, they’re happy.

Less than three years ago, the Truskins knew they wanted to find a way to support UD. Now, their philanthropy has spread further than they could have expected, impacting students in a multitude of areas. The couple wants that support to continue spreading — in their own endeavors and in the community.

“Until someone tells us what we can help with, we can't help,” Abrea Truskin said. “That's what we hope other people will do. Anybody can make a change. All you have to do is get involved.”

Join the Truskin family in supporting the Parents Fund, Lerner College, Delaware Athletics and the Food and Supply Pantry. To learn more about supporting the University and joining the Parent and Family Leadership Council or Team 302, contact Tracy E. Smith, Director of Parent and Family Giving and Student Life Philanthropy, at smitht@udel.edu or 302-831-7453.