May 21, 2020

Media Contact:
Rachel Evey, WVC Foundation executive director, 509-682-6415
Libby Siebens, WVC community relations executive director, 509-682-6436 (Mon.-Thurs.)

The Wenatchee Valley College Foundation is launching its spring giving campaign with a focus on meeting the basic needs of WVC students.

Each year, the WVC Foundation provides scholarships, emergency grants and other financial support to students. In fall 2019, a survey found that 60 percent of WVC students had experienced food insecurity, housing insecurity or homelessness in the last year.

“We knew our students were facing financial challenges in pursuing their education, but the survey results made the scope and severity of these challenges clear,” Evey said. “That’s why I am calling on the community to join us as we work to remove barriers for students. No student should have to choose between tuition and their next meal.”

The survey also found that WVC students of color, older students, low-income students, and student parents are significantly more likely to experience basic needs insecurity than their peers.

In the 2020-21 academic year, Evey said, need is expected to be even greater due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. CARES Act funding, one-time federal funding in the amount of $1.2 million for students, was depleted within two weeks, she added.

Those interested in donating to the foundation to support students can visit wvc.edu/Give.

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The WVC Foundation was incorporated in 1971. It exists to build relationships between the community and the college and raise financial support for Wenatchee Valley College students, programs, faculty and staff, as well as special projects such as building campaigns like the Music and Art Center. For information on how to make a gift to the foundation, establish a scholarship or include the WVC Foundation in your estate plans, contact (509) 682-6410. Visit the WVC Foundation website at http://www.wvc.edu/foundation.

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and state laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and Title IX compliance for both the Wenatchee and Omak campuses:

• To report discrimination or harassment: Title IX Coordinator, Wenatchi Hall 2322M, (509) 682-6445, title9@wvc.edu.
• To request disability accommodations: Director of Student Access, Wenatchi Hall 2133, (509) 682-6854, TTY/TTD: dial 711, sas@wvc.edu.