MVCC Foundation to host Week of Giving fundraiser

The Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) Foundation is holding a Week of Giving fundraiser beginning Tuesday, Feb. 11, to support the College-Community-Connection (C3) program.

According to MVCC, the C3 program, by working with local community agencies, can help students in their time of need and help thembetter achieve their academic goals. Students with monetary, physical, andmental obstacles can utilize the wide variety of services provided by C3, such as access to food pantries, child and elder care services, and temporary housing, to name a few.

MVCC emphasized the program’s impact on students at a local level, stating that more than 65% of the students taking advantage of C3’s services are from Oneida County.

Pell- eligible students, those whose expected family contribution to their education is less than $5,577 per year, make up more than 60% of MVCC’s student population, according to the college.

The C3 program was developed in 2016, with a goal to provide these students with an on-campus support center that would offer them timely, effective solutions to non-academic issues that could prevent them from completing their degree, college officials said.

Other services offered by the C3 program have included access to basic needs such as transportation and bus passes, counseling and legal services, school supplies, and healthcare.

“It’s tough to focus on your studies if you’re skipping meals because you can’t afford to eat or you’re not sure where you might sleep that night,” MVCC President Randall J. VanWagoner said in a news release. “The C3 program and our partners allow us to help students find their footing so they can finish their degree.”

According to MVCC, in the program’s first three years, 30% more students used these services than projected, and it has so far served more than 800 students.

The four most used services include the food pantry, bus passes, food vouchers, and child care assistance.

MVCC claimed that retention rates increased 10% from Fall 2016, when the program was first implemented, to Spring 2018, suggesting the real impact the programhas had on students since it’s beginning.

The college hopes that donations during the MVCC Foundation’s Week of Giving will help them continue the program’s positive impact.

To donate to this cause, visit mvccfoundation.org beginning Tuesday, Feb. 11. For more information on the C3 program, visit https://www.mvcc.edu/c3/.