By Stella Harvey
In the weeks since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Washington State and Whatcom County, many Western students now face threats to their food, housing and education. With many students struggling to get by with limited resources, a team of Western staff began working to provide resources to students in need.
Leti Romo, the program advisor for the Associated Students Executive Board and Student Advocacy and Identity Resource Center, said in an email that offices across Western established a working group in the Enrollment and Student Services office to help coordinate food, housing and financial resources to students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Romo, there will soon be a page on the Office of Student Life website where students can fill out an intake form with information on their needs and circumstances. From there, the organizers will contact students directly and tailor resources to their individual needs. Students in need may be given access to the Fairhaven dining hall, given a grocery card or work with staff to craft a plan that works for them. The website will also have information on other resources, such as food banks, where students can receive support.
Romo, who is the chair of the working group committee, said the committee includes people from programs and offices such as the AS, Off-Campus Living, Residence Life, the Western Success Scholars Program, the Office of Student Life, Aramark, the Disability Access Center, the Financial Aid Office and the Outback Farm. According to Romo, the committee is working to support students with resources on and off-campus by providing food security and connecting students to other resources.
SAIRC Coordinator Karen Deysher did not respond to the AS Review’s questions regarding SAIRC’s participation in the working committee in time for publication.
These resources are funded completely by donations to the Viking Funder, the Western Success Scholars and the Office of Off-Campus Living. Resources from Western Hub of Living Essentials [WHOLE] are also being allocated to support the programs. WHOLE is a food pantry organized by the AS for students facing food insecurity and provides non-perishable food items, personal care products and clothing.
Western Success Scholars Program Manager Lorrie Bortuzzo, did not respond to the AS Review’s questions regarding Western Success Scholars’ participation in the working committee in time for publication.
In addition to the intake form, there will also be a meal kit pick-up program on April 15 from 12-4 p.m. at the Fairhaven dining facility. Terri Kempton, the Outback Farm manager, said the Outback partnered with dining services to provide 100 meal kits to students in need. Dining services will provide the meal kits, which will include all of the ingredients to create a single meal, and Outback Farm staff will distribute the meals while maintaining social-distancing guidelines. All students have to do to grab a kit is show their student identification.
Romo said the programs that the committee designed were created for students who would not otherwise have access to food assistance. In some cases, Romo said that students will be vetted through the Financial Aid office to make sure resources don’t impact student’s financial aid packages.
According to Kempton, the Outback is also maximizing their food production capacity in order to provide students facing food insecurity with more resources. Since the Outback canceled all of its spring gatherings, the staff is now using their time and resources to grow more fresh produce on the five-acre farm. Under Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay Home Stay Healthy proclamation, all food production workers are considered essential-workers during the COVID-19 crisis. In order to ensure the safety of their employees, Kempton said only one Outback staff member is working on the farm at a time.
Kempton said the Outback Farm is committed to food justice and making sure that everyone has access to healthy food. Before the COVID-19 crisis, 68% of Western students skipped or did not have sufficient meals because of finances, according to the Outback Farm website.
“In order to help students perform at their best, basic needs are so important and that is inclusive of food and housing,” Romo said in an email.