Centennial College launches campaign to address student emergency housing and food insecurity
TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2020 /CNW/ - In an effort to help address the urgent needs of Centennial College students facing housing and food security challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, Centennial's Office of Development and Alumni Engagement has launched its Student Emergency Fund. All donations to the fund will be matched by the college dollar-for-dollar to a maximum of $25,000.
Centennial College has the highest number of students in the province requiring OSAP financial assistance to support their studies, with 93.5 per cent of students participating in the program – 16 per cent higher than the Ontario average. The year 2020 marks the third year that Centennial College is participating in GivingTuesday, part of its mission to support students through challenging times.
Prior to the pandemic, a significant percentage of Centennial College students were already struggling to consistently access adequate food and nutrition and maintain safe, stable housing, a direct result of the complex financial pressures that many students face. Since the start of the pandemic these challenges have been exacerbated and many Centennial students are now in urgent need of targeted financial support to meet their basic food and housing needs.
In addition to seeking donations to the Student Emergency Fund, Centennial College is joining the Giving Tuesday Toronto campaign by asking the community to participate in the "Love Notes to Centennial Students" social media campaign. Participants can share a message of hope and inspiration on social media using the hashtags #CentennialGives, #torontogives and #givingtuesdayca.
SOURCE Centennial College
Media contact: Mark Toljagic, Communications Officer, Centennial College, 416-605-6012 or email [email protected]
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