May 3, 2017 – Announcing Chico Cares Endowment

Announcing Chico Cares Endowment

To: Campus Community

From: President Gayle E. Hutchinson

Dear Colleagues,

We can all agree that no student at Chico State should go without sufficient food or safe and reliable housing. But, the truth is, nearly half of Chico State students struggle to afford food, and the CSU reports that one in 12 live in unstable housing situations each year.

Poor nutrition and the stress from unmet basic needs are proven to hinder student development and academic performance, which are at the heart of our mission to educate and serve tomorrow’s leaders.

We are proud to announce that the President and the California Faculty Association have come together in the spirit of collaboration to establish the Chico Cares Endowment, which will create perpetual support for students’ unmet basic needs. Additionally, we will raise annual funds to support students’ needs immediately.

The goal of the Chico Cares Endowment is to expand on the inspiring work of the Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry, which was founded in 2013 to help students in need—many of whom come from low-income communities and are the first in their families to attend college. Thanks to the generosity of faculty, staff, and community members, the Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry has provided a safe place for more than 2,000 students to access nutritious food, CalFresh application assistance, and basic needs referrals.

The Chico Cares Endowment will grow our campus’s ability to address the full spectrum of students’ basic needs, including the growing demand for housing allowances, student emergency grants, and other immediate needs. You’ll hear more about the endowment in the months that follow, including ways in which you can get involved and support our efforts. If you want to get started right now, you can give a Chico Cares gift today that will go directly to students in need.

A college education has the power to help students overcome poverty, transforming their lives and communities. But for students to succeed in college and earn their degrees, they must first have the opportunity to live a life free of hunger and housing insecurity.

You and other staff and faculty members across campus work every day to give tomorrow’s leaders the knowledge and experiences they need to achieve their dreams. With your support, we can ensure that hunger and housing insecurity will never stand in the way of our students’ ability to succeed. Together, we care. Together, we give. Together, we will transform tomorrow.

Sincerely, Gayle E. Hutchinson, President Timothy Sistrunk, CFA Chico Chapter President