(Orange, CA) – The Santiago Canyon College Foundation (SCCF) has received a $15,000 grant from the Peter and Ginny Ueberroth Family Foundation to support the Hawk’s Nest Food Pantry and soon-to-launch Basic Needs Center at Santiago Canyon College, a community college in east Orange. The grant will be used to purchase food and personal items for students served by the pantry, as well as procure supplies and equipment to outfit the new Center.
“We are extremely honored to receive this grant from the Ueberroth Family Foundation,” said John Hernandez, Ph.D., President of Santiago Canyon College. “This partnership will help the pantry expand its services to students at a crucial time. Many of our students either work their way through college in jobs now lost to the Covid-19 pandemic or rely on family members who have lost income – resulting in more students using the pantry. We are equally determined to get the Basic Needs Center up and running since the need for its comprehensive services is greater than ever. We’re very grateful to the Ueberroth Family Foundation for stepping in with significant financial support at this particularly challenging time.”
Now in its third year, the Hawk’s Nest Food Pantry was launched as a grass-roots collaboration among faculty, staff and students in early 2017. The need for a pantry was identified in a survey the campus health unit conducted in 2016, which revealed that a significant number of students faced daily struggles with food insecurity. Last year alone, the pantry served over 500 unique students and distributed over 20,000 pounds of food.
In addition to supporting the food pantry, the Ueberroth Family Foundation grant will support the new Basic Needs Center, which was scheduled to open this spring, but has been postponed due to the pandemic. The Center will incorporate and expand the food pantry, and in addition become a “one-stop” resource and referral service for registered students who require basic needs items and/or financial, legal, health or housing referral assistance. The center will also offer classes in financial literacy, nutrition, and other areas that promote adult competency. In addition, the center will be a training ground for students interested in non-profit management and social work.
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About the Ueberroth Family Foundation
Established in 1984, the Peter and Ginny Ueberroth Family Foundation has been giving back to the community for three decades. The foundation is committed to assisting community-based organizations that are effectively making a difference. We believe that by assisting people to take greater responsibility for their own well-being and for the communities in which they live, we can create a better future. The foundation supports local organizations, with a focus on youth programs, education, health and human services. We believe in personal involvement with the organizations that we support, therefore the majority of the funding takes place in Orange County or within the communities where directors live.
About Santiago Canyon College Foundation
The Santiago Canyon College Foundation (SCCF), founded in 1998, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to fundraising and community outreach on behalf of Santiago Canyon College. The fourteen volunteer and ex-officio members of the board of directors work together to sponsor fundraising events and cultivate new philanthropic partnerships with individuals and organizations in the local community. The board also manages a permanent endowment for the benefit of the college. To find out more about the SCC Foundation, go to www.sccollegefoundation.org or email foundation@sccollege.edu.
About Santiago Canyon College
Santiago Canyon College (SCC) serves more than 17,000 credit and noncredit students each semester. In 2017, SCC was ranked No. 13 among the 50 Best Community Colleges in the U.S. by College Choice and is currently ranked No. 5 in California by bestcolleges.com, a leading authority in college and university rankings and resources. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions and careers, and provides courses for personal and professional development, as well as customized training for business and industry. The college is recognized for its adult education program which keeps the working adult - and senior - in mind by offering flexible schedules, and community locations. Serving the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Tustin, and Villa Park, SCC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.
