Food + Basic Necessities Classroom Fund
Donation protected
It's Tuesday, March 3rd. I have just returned home from an exciting day of teaching. We talked about Octavia Butler, and unpacked a piece of her novel Kindred. I love my job. However, what I experienced after class today crushed me to the core. I found that a student hadn't eaten in days. Days. I had one granola bar on me. Naturally, I gave it to my student. But then it occurred to me: that's a short-term fix for a recurring problem. Tomorrow, it will be 24 hours since the student last ate. 24 hours since my granola bar.
This student is not alone. I have discovered a number of my students, more this term than in the past, experience food and necessity instability. I teach for a wonderful program. They always make sure I have all the classroom supplies I need. But their budget is limited. There isn't room for the kind of funds I would need. The college food pantry can provide canned goods, but nothing that would be reasonably consumable during a class period.
It could be argued, correctly, that our government, and our lawmakers, need to address these problems to ensure permanent solutions for anyone experiencing such need. It could be argued, correctly, that the college could take additional steps to ensure students are cared for. But I'm seeking a more immediate solution. Simply put: I'd like to take a bunch of money, go to Target (or Amazon), and buy the following items:
--Bottled/canned beverages
--Granola bars
--Tampons and pads
--Non-perishable food items appropriate for classroom consumption
I'd then like to take these items to my classroom, put them in a special filing cabinet drawer (that locks when I leave), and make them available to anyone in my class with the need. These items wouldn't cost much, hence my low dollar goal. Any money raised will go into a fund to be spent on these items, as needed, throughout the semester. This positive change has the power to show students that school is a place for them, that it is a place not just of learning, but of care.
It's with this that I turn to you for help. Certainly, if you need your money, please keep it! If you simply *want* to conserve your money or direct it elsewhere, do not feel bad for doing so! But, if you've got a spare dollar - literally, a dollar - I can swear to you it will go a long way toward making a student's learning day successful. Would you consider donating it for my students?
We tend to consider college the place for student independence, and, yes, to an extent, they should be. That said, we are also in an era where the students I teach have been acted against by many, many unfair social practices. It is not hand-holding to want to level the playing field. Much more, it is not hand-holding to care. To care in a college classroom is to model the very quality we hope these students will graduate possessing. Let's teach this together.
This student is not alone. I have discovered a number of my students, more this term than in the past, experience food and necessity instability. I teach for a wonderful program. They always make sure I have all the classroom supplies I need. But their budget is limited. There isn't room for the kind of funds I would need. The college food pantry can provide canned goods, but nothing that would be reasonably consumable during a class period.
It could be argued, correctly, that our government, and our lawmakers, need to address these problems to ensure permanent solutions for anyone experiencing such need. It could be argued, correctly, that the college could take additional steps to ensure students are cared for. But I'm seeking a more immediate solution. Simply put: I'd like to take a bunch of money, go to Target (or Amazon), and buy the following items:
--Bottled/canned beverages
--Granola bars
--Tampons and pads
--Non-perishable food items appropriate for classroom consumption
I'd then like to take these items to my classroom, put them in a special filing cabinet drawer (that locks when I leave), and make them available to anyone in my class with the need. These items wouldn't cost much, hence my low dollar goal. Any money raised will go into a fund to be spent on these items, as needed, throughout the semester. This positive change has the power to show students that school is a place for them, that it is a place not just of learning, but of care.
It's with this that I turn to you for help. Certainly, if you need your money, please keep it! If you simply *want* to conserve your money or direct it elsewhere, do not feel bad for doing so! But, if you've got a spare dollar - literally, a dollar - I can swear to you it will go a long way toward making a student's learning day successful. Would you consider donating it for my students?
We tend to consider college the place for student independence, and, yes, to an extent, they should be. That said, we are also in an era where the students I teach have been acted against by many, many unfair social practices. It is not hand-holding to want to level the playing field. Much more, it is not hand-holding to care. To care in a college classroom is to model the very quality we hope these students will graduate possessing. Let's teach this together.
Organizer
Jonathan Alexandratos
Organizer
New York, NY
