Not every student attending Calhoun is able to have the same opportunities in life. Working to combat this, the college offers varied resources, under the umbrella name of Calhoun Cares, to help students who may be struggling with issues outside of school. I was able to sit down with Ms. Valerie Cox and Ms. Heather Gilliam, two leaders of the Calhoun Cares program, to get more details on which resources do what, who qualifies, and most importantly–how to access them.
The Student Emergency Grant fund, managed by Ms. Cox, helps students who are facing financial emergencies, at no cost. Qualifying events include but are not limited to: homelessness/sudden loss of housing, medical bills, utility bills, loss of income, transportation issues, and domestic abuse.
Any student with a 2.0 GPA or higher and more than six credit hours can apply for aid with this program. To apply, go to the Calhoun Cares site and select “Apply for Emergency Grant.”
You will be asked for basic contact information, academic information, and documentation of the emergency. Your application will be processed, and the council in charge of the Student Emergency fund will determine how much monetary assistance you need, as well as referring you to additional resources if needed.
The Student Emergency Grant fund will not cover fees for former college debt, current tuition balances, or any form of legal fees. Assistance from the grant usually ranges from $500-$1000, with every application being considered on a case-by-case basis.
Ms. Cox wanted to emphasize that the primary objective of the grant is to keep students in school regardless of the struggles they may be facing in life and that no one who needs the program should feel ashamed of applying for it.
For non-monetary aid, Calhoun Cares includes the Calhoun Cupboard food pantry, Professional Attire closet, and Student Technology Support resources–once again, free of charge for all students.
The Professional Attire closet is for students who need professional clothing for jobs, job interviews, or any other reason. To access it, go to the Professional Attire page and select “Professional Attire Closet Appointment.”
The Closet provides formal wear for all genders and occasions, including suits, dresses, skirts, slacks, shoes, belts, and more. A member of staff will help you coordinate the outfit.
Students are also welcome to donate professional wear, by dropping off clean, folded clothes in a new or almost-new state at the Professional Attire Closet (located in the Sparkman building on the Huntsville campus.)
The Calhoun Cupboard is Calhoun’s food pantry, managed by Ms. Gilliam, available to any student suffering from food insecurity. To receive care bags of food or toiletries from the Cupboard, go to the Calhoun Cupboard homepage and select “Request Form.”
You will be asked to provide your A#, name, address, and where you would like to pick up the supplies.
Once again, the Cupboard is completely free and will also direct students to resources outside of school depending on their situation.
If you would like to donate to the food pantry, contact Career Services. The cost of living has been steadily rising for the last several years, and Ms. Gilliam expressed a hope that more people would contribute to the Calhoun Cupboard and other Calhoun Cares resources to help students keep their heads above water.
If you would like to be even more involved in the process, there is a Thanksgiving giveaway each year, and volunteers are needed to assemble the bags of food and necessities. Emails will be sent out to all students in the preceding weeks with more information on where to apply.
Finally, the Student Technology Support Center exists to provide students with up-to-date technology needed for school, including laptops, calculators, thumb drives, and free Wi-Fi hotspots. Their physical offices are located in the foyer of the Sparkman Building (Huntsville campus), or you can find them online.
Please note that if you need to access any of the above links but do not have adequate technology at home, the campus library has computers that are free to use.
Each of these programs are designed to make life easier for struggling students and allow them to focus on school.
There is no shame or stigma attached to using these resources–the people who run them genuinely want to help you.
If you have any questions about the Calhoun Cares project that weren’t featured in this article, you can contact either Ms. Cox (valerie.cox@calhoun.edu) or Ms. Gilliam (heather.congo@calhoun.edu).
They were very generous with their time in offering information for this article and are each incredibly knowledgeable about Calhoun Cares.