San Diego Mesa College has announced the official launch of the Mesa College COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Students. The goal of this fund is to provide emergency assistance to students whose lives and educational goals have been disrupted by the catastrophic impact of the Coronavirus crisis. Funds will be used to assist students in need and decrease their risk of dropping out of classes or college. Many of Mesa College students are among those hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis. Even before the outbreak, almost 50% were food insecure and nearly 1 in 5 were housing insecure/homeless. Many students worked in sectors such as food service that have been forced to close or decrease their workforce. The move to online learning has meant that students without computers, internet, or other resources must overcome new barriers. Many are post-traditional students who have taken on the role of teacher to young children due to school closures.
“Raising these funds will increase our ability to provide our most vulnerable students with the support they need,” stated Mesa College President Pamela T. Luster. To protect the health and safety of Mesa students and the campus community, Mesa College moved all classes online. Within days, the Mesa College community—including Associated Students, the San Diego Mesa College Foundation, and generous donors — have contributed $30,000 to establish the COVID-19 Emergency Student Relief Fund. 100% of donations will go directly to students whose lives and educational goals have been disrupted by the catastrophic impact of the crisis.
Mesa College has a history of working diligently to address the most basic needs of students. From opening up The Stand (the food and clothing pantry) in early 2017, to debuting the monthly free Farmers Market in 2018, to providing emergency funds for car repairs and hotel vouchers, Mesa has assisted thousands of students with obtaining access to essentials such as food, clothing, transportation and housing. To learn more and donate, visit sdmesa.edu/foundation.