EBT efforts persist

Hunger Relief efforts have been going on here on campus for quite some time, but a recent plan of action to help stop hunger on campus has been taken over by a BC alumni. Former BC student and News Editor Chris Toomey has started his own Hunger Relief campaign called, “Help Feed Students in Need,” which has raised over $1,800 in just over eight days towards the goal of $3,250.

“When the Hunger Relief Program was terminated following fall quarter, I grew greatly concerned for all the students for whom the program had been a means of support and would now have the rug pulled out from under them,” stated Toomey. “I started Help Feed Students in Need in order to raise the necessary funds to revive the program and keep feeding some of BC’s most vulnerable students.”

Toomey continued, “even though I’m no longer a student, I feel it’s only right that I give back to the community that has given me so much over the years. It felt only natural that I give back to the BC community by helping feed people in need.”

ASG has set $4,000 as their fundraising goal towards hunger relief. Regarding the dual approaches, “I would like to avoid us having two separate fundraisers, in my mind it doesn’t make a lot of sense to do two separate fundraisers for the same thing. I like the website idea for his fundraiser, I think it is an awesome idea. That’s great that it opens up that opportunity for that fundraiser in our community which is awesome,” ASG President Zawdie Terry said. “It might not take that long to raise, but we know what we are going to need.” “We may not reach that goal, but we know we will get close.”

“With the legislative session going on now, DSHS are not going to be a party that we will [be] in contact with,” stated Terry. “We do have to find a party to contact and [. . .] it is going to take us a while to get those EBT terminals on campus and while this is definitely something we want to do and something we are fighting for and we know within that time, there will be people who are going to be hungry, people who need to eat.”

Toomey found his own resources to get the ball rolling with his campaign stating, “I used IndieGoGo.com to host the campaign and have then been promoting and gathering support via Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth campaigning. The latter is truly vital to the overall success of this campaign and I encourage everyone, regardless of their ability to donate funds, to contribute by spreading the word about HFSIN.” Toomey continued, “I chose to run Help Feed Students in Need in association with the Bellevue College Foundation because they are a credible and registered 501(c) nonprofit organization with a mission that benefits the BC community, and more than that, they are a wonderful set of people whom without their help and support the fundraiser would have simply not been possible.”

Whether ASG is teaming up with Toomey to fight hunger or not, there are students at BC and former students willing to take control of the situation. “I am not in a position to speak for the ASG. Currently the campaign is being administered and promoted solely by me,” Toomey continued, “I have contacted Alex Clark, environmental and social responsibility representative, and am scheduled to meet with Trey Jordan, chairman of BC student alliance, to discuss the possibility of on-campus promotion of the HFSIN campaign.”

“Help Feed Students in Need has raised $1,846 thus far. Our campaign goal is listed at $3,250, which is what is needed to ensure the program is maintained through the next quarter, or the equivalent of 10 weeks of school,” continued Toomey. “Every contribution over the goal amount allows the HRP to longer serve students in need at BC, with every $1.29 being another meal provided.” to a student in need.”