Emergency Fund, Scrappy’s Cupboard offer help to struggling students

The stories are poignant. The words are full of emotion. They are written by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students and they hit the reader right in the gut.

“I was not expecting a hardship such as this to occur,” one student wrote, the message edited to provide anonymity and remove personally identifiable information.

“I have lost my job. I have applied to numerous grocery stores in the area but have yet to hear back. I also have major bills such as my car payment, car insurance and utilities that need to be paid. I am terrified of what may happen if I do not find the funds I need within a few weeks. My father has closed his business due to the situation and is not receiving any income. Anything would help me at this point.”

The note is a sample of correspondence the UTC Office of Student Outreach and Support has received daily since the arrival of COVID-19 in mid-March. The office is known as SOS and, during this new normal, the three-letter cry-for-help acronym has never been more appropriate.

The SOS unit is led by Brett Fuchs, associate dean of students in the Office of the Dean of Students.  His department advocates for and supports students experiencing challenges in their personal and academic lives.

“We see and hear everything from the worst situations that students can be in to the most minor things,” said Fuchs, whose responsibilities include administering the Denise and Tim Downey Student Emergency Fund and student food pantry Scrappy’s Cupboard. “Some of the most heartfelt and significant stories are those that come in about a student needing just a little bit of money to help get them through.

“It’s incredibly important for us to assist our students. It’s one of the primary missions that all of us are here for: To care for our students and help them succeed. Making sure the resources are available for them is our No. 1 priority.”

During the one-two punch of the coronavirus pandemic and the tornado that ripped through the Chattanooga area the night of April 12, Fuchs and his staff have had a bevy of students reaching out for support.

“Recently, I was laid off due to COVID-19,” one student wrote. “My parents are unable to support me as they have both had their hours cut at work. I do not qualify for unemployment as my job for the majority of 2019 was a work-study position at UTC. The money I am requesting will be utilized for rent, utility payments and grocery purchases over the next two months.”

Fuchs has been a voice for students since arriving on the UTC campus in 2016, and one of his earliest missions was helping get Scrappy’s Cupboard off the ground. The Scrappy’s Cupboard program is open to all UTC students enrolled in at least one credit hour and facing food insecurity, a term used to describe those who do not have access to nutritious meals.

If a student needed quick financial aid, though, funding literally was an out-of-pocket experience.

“It wasn’t that long ago that you would take $20 or $25 out of your wallet to help students through at times, but that certainly wasn’t meeting the greater need of our students,” Fuchs said. “It often left students leaving the university. They had to choose whether they were going to go to work or go to class; if it meant that going to work kept them alive and able to sustain, that’s what they often did. A student emergency fund was something we wanted for years.”

That wish became a reality in 2019 when the Denise and Tim Downey Student Emergency Fund was created to provide limited emergency help for UTC students experiencing monetary hardship. The fund was formed to help with unexpected student expenses, like essential academic needs, last-minute airline tickets and one-time, non-recurring medical costs—expenditures that could force students to have to forego their academic studies.

Now, more than ever, students have been contacting SOS in need of assistance. The office has received nearly 200 requests since early March.

While Fuchs and his team work directly with the affected students, UTC Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Yancy Freeman and his group work with the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs to promote the Student Emergency Fund and Scrappy’s Cupboard and increase the visibility of both programs.

“The gift from the Downeys has been transformational for us,” said Dr. Freeman, a three-time graduate of UTC with a bachelor’s degree in political science, a master’s in public administration and a doctorate in learning and leadership. “As much as we would love to believe that our students’ only challenges are in the classroom, that’s just simply not true. I am just over-the-moon thrilled that we can now provide some remedy when students have significant financial obstacles.

“Unfortunately, we can’t meet every single need that’s there or the full amount of need that students might request of us. But I’m hopeful that any amount helps toward mitigating some of that need for them. We’re so thankful to have had the Downeys start this for us, and we’re thrilled with anyone who sees it in their heart to give to this fund to help our students.”

He shared the story of one student whose family’s house was severely damaged by the tornadoes that hammered Nashville in early March.

“Despite COVID-19, that student ended up having to come back to Chattanooga to live in housing here. That student had nowhere else to go,” he said. “It was the unintended ripple impact of COVID-19 and the inclement weather. It does illustrate how all these things can be intertwined. Students and families are put in a situation where they feel like their lives are unraveling.

“It makes me a proud UTC alumnus and a proud UTC employee to know that we now have programs in place to assist our students. We want to make sure that we’re doing our part to contribute to the wellbeing of our students by providing emergency food assistance and emergency funding to help folks who are in need. But we’ve had substantially more requests for funds than we have funding. That does precipitate the need for us to be as open and transparent as we can about trying to raise those dollars. There is more need than we can fill right now.”

While the campaign to grow the Student Emergency Fund and Scrappy’s Cupboard continues, student needs are growing.

“I have been laid off from my on-campus job, and considering I’m a poor college student, I have limited amounts of money to provide me with the basics,” the student’s correspondence began. “Currently, I have less than $60 in my bank account to last me until I can be employed again. I was supposed to start a job at a summer camp in May, but that was postponed. I’ve looked online for jobs and I’m waiting for responses, but I haven’t heard anything yet. I need help buying groceries, toiletries and basic essentials, and I also have bills to pay.”