Saddleback College Associated Student Government lends a hand to Houston students in need
ASG Chief Justice Colet Gossens pouring syrup on pancakes. (Austin Weatherman/Lariat)
A new donation option is added to established ASG pancake breakfast
Saddleback College’s Associated Student Government hosted a pancake breakfast on Wednesday, Sept 6 where students and faculty could come to the quad and buy breakfast with the proceeds going primarily towards the Student Emergency Fund. Specifically for this month, there was an additional donation box set out for Hurricane Harvey where people could give extra money that would be used to help support hurricane victims.
The pancake breakfast event is usually held annually, but between ASG president Erica Delamare and ASG Vice President Kam Feiz, they decided that they could turn it into a monthly event and expand on the benefits even more. The Student Emergency Fund that the donated money is going towards is mostly intended for the homeless population of students here on campus.
“We have about 500 to 600 homeless students, IVC has a similar amount and same with Orange Coast College,” said Delamare. “So a goal this year, college wide, especially here with ASG is to do anything we can to find solutions and support them in any way. As part of ASG, we’re supposed to represent all the students and by doing this we are trying to help support them.”
The money can be used to help a homeless student stay in a hotel for a couple nights or help them get some clothes and food. ASG donates the money raised directly to the Student Health Center where the doctors then decide how to distribute the money to students in need.
“For me, it’s really inspiring to know that even though someone is going through such a difficult time they’re still persevering and trying to get an education,” said Delamare. “I really admire and respect that and I think everyone else on ASG, as well as most students I assume, and so that’s one of the big reasons we decided to do it.”
After all the donations were added up at the end of the day, ASG raised a total of $245 to go toward the Saddleback Emergency Fund and $445 to donate to the Houston Community College.
“We want to give back as much as we can,” said Feiz. “It is a problem, people are sleeping in the quad at night, they don’t have homes and we just feel like as student government it is our obligation to help those people out, help the students, help the campus. The homeless population is part of campus and it does touch our hearts.”
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