Cerritos College, a public community college in California, is cooperating with the L.A. Food Bank to mount a food bank for pandemic-hit students. The college is also offering aid and housing for struggling students.
The college’s vice president of student services, Dr. Dilcie Perez, said to ABC7 KABC that the school started with emergency food cards and grocery cards, but eventually extended to “emergency aid that will help [students] with utilities, car payments, as well as the laptops and technology.”
Sarom Chea, a deaf student, was one of the recipients of loaned laptops given by the school to help in his shift to online classes. He has volunteered to help in the food bank.
College Seeks Solutions for Students
Cerritos College has about 21,000 students and 70 percent of those are on financial aid. Since the pandemic hit, many of Cerritos students have been struggling with having reliable Wi-Fi, a conducive study area, or even meals.
The school is continuing to find solutions to address the students’ needs.
To that end, Cerritos College has converted its gym into a study hall and extended $250,000 in emergency monetary assistance.
The school also set an example in the state as it was the first to offer housing for students facing housing insecurity. In June, it opened The Village, a community college housing project exclusive for homeless students.
