To help students and employees in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) has awarded approximately $25,000 to Southwestern Community College (SCC).
The funding is being used to address student and employee needs as identified by a “Post-Helene Safety Check and Support” survey sent by Emergency Services and Safety Coordinator Megan Nicholson.
Specific uses for the grant funding include: Meeting basic needs for SCC’s community by stocking campus cupboards at four college locations, free mental health therapy sessions, Walmart gift cards, and free loans of Verizon hotspots and laptops.
“We are extremely grateful to The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina [CFWNC] for their commitment to our community’s resilience and recovery,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC’s President. “I’m also grateful to Megan and everyone else on our campus who immediately recognized the need for us to be proactive in helping our SCC family through the recovery process.”
The Community Foundation is a nonprofit serving 18 counties in Western North Carolina. The Foundation is a permanent regional resource that facilitated $34 million in charitable giving last year. CFWNC inspires philanthropy and mobilizes resources to enrich lives and communities in Western North Carolina.
About Southwestern Community College
For almost 60 years, Southwestern Community College has served Jackson, Macon, Swain counties, and the Qualla Boundary in Western North Carolina by providing a wide range of educational options for residents in all stages of life.
SCC has been ranked among the nation’s Top 10 community colleges six times in the last 15 years – including a No. 1 ranking in BestColleges.com’s listing of the “Best Community Colleges & Trade Schools of 2020.”
Through a supportive learning environment, Southwestern offers more than 40 degree programs (including more than 90 credentialing options, 28 of which are offered online) in Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences/College Transfer, and Career Technologies.
A variety of community resources – including the Small Business Center, Workforce Continuing Education and Career Services – are also available.
Pictured above: Amy Russ, co-chair of the SCC Cares committee, stands beside a box of groceries purchased for a student with funds provided by The Community Foundation of WNC for Hurricane Helene relief.