The OCCC Foundation is on a mission to help OCCC students stay students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation is accepting donations for the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund, which provides financial assistance to OCCC students to help them stay in school. The emergency fund is designed to give students an interest-free loan to cover expenses like rent, utilities, transportation or other essentials.
“I find time and time again that students do not drop out of college because of academics,” said OCCC President Jerry Steward. “Rather, they drop out because of financial hardships related to themselves and their families. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to disrupt the immense successes our students are on their way to achieving, and this drive aims to ensure they can continue on successfully.”
The college has already seen a surge of requests for the food pantry. In addition to the emergency fund, OCCC is working to increase the pantry’s inventory. The college is also holding a children’s supplies drive for baby items such as diapers, formula, and baby food.
Tax-deductible gifts for the emergency fund can be submitted online at www.occc.edu/foundation. Donations for the children’s supplies drive can be dropped off, contact-free, on the main campus at 7777 S. May Ave., Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The dropoff point is outside the Science, Engineering & Math Center (SEM) Entry 1.
