“Students are juggling all kinds of things,” says Lindsey Schiller of the Anoka Ramsey Community College Foundation. “It could be their need to get to work, so they have to pay for their utilities at home and have a roof over their head. Sometimes it’s as simple as paying a utility bill.”
Anoka Ramsey student Charles Osugo is scheduled to graduate with a nursing degree this spring. He credits help from the crisis fund for keeping him on track.
“With the crisis grant, my family and I, we were able to avoid being in a situation of food insecurity,” said Osugo. “That time, that semester, it could have gone in a different way. But because of the crisis grant, I was able to stay afloat, not only academically but also financially. That made a difference for me.”
That kind of financial stress could lead to a student leaving school. The Anoka Ramsey Community College Foundation has been helping with the crisis grant program for years. It started in 2004 with a $2,500 donation. Now about one hundred students a year receive an average of about $300 in help. It can go to fixing cars, getting bus passes, or paying bills.
“It’s students in need and we wanted to create an opportunity where students could go to a counselor, talk to them about their financial stress and what’s going on in their lives and keep them on the path to educational success,” said Lindsey Schiller.
In a normal year, this fundraiser is held in person, but this year a virtual event is planned for noon on November 19th. To participate, go to the Anoka-Ramsey Community College website, www.anokaramsey.edu/donate. Look for the “Making A Difference” banner. If you would like to help, you can give online, by text, or by sending a check.
