The KSU Foundation and the university launched the #KStateStrong Emergency Response Fund to help students, faculty and staff with the areas of greatest need in response to COVID-19 pandemic.
John Morris, senior vice president of development for the KSU Foundation, says the fund allows people to support by giving donations that would allow for the institution to use the money however the K-State community needs it.
“Because of the rapid way of things are changing in this pandemic and the uncertainty, that fund basically allows for maximum flexibility with spending so the university will be able to attack problems as they come up,” Morris said.
There is now a giving website where anyone can go to donate to the Emergency Response Fund along with two other funds — the Student Emergency Scholarship and Cats’ Cupboard.
The Student Emergency Scholarship covers students’ unexpected costs, such as laptops and course materials, which could enable them finish the semester online.
Cats’ Cupboard, the on campus food pantry, has remained open on campus despite the university’s limited operations, with new measures. Students or faculty who experience food insecurity during the pandemic can submit an order online, then pick up the necessities later on in the week.
“When folks go online to make a gift, they can choose wherever they want [it] to go and we built this particular page with these three options for donors to choose where to drive those dollars,” Morris said.
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Morris said the foundation hasn’t pushed this very hard because they have tried to be sensitive to the fact that several individuals are struggling financially.
Though Morris said the foundation is trying to be sensitive and tactful, along the way, K-Staters have asked “How can we help?”
Morris said that the foundation is sharing the opportunity of the Emergency Response Fund through an omnichannel world using phone calls, emails and social media. Later on, direct mail will also be sent out to bring awareness to the funds.
“I can’t reiterate this enough — the collective health and safety of K-State family and the entire K-State community has been and will be our number one priority to work through this,” Morris said.