Synthesis: Advocacy Center
- Due Nov 11, 2021 at 12pm
- Points 1
- Questions 1
- Time Limit None
Instructions
You will need the information in these articles in order to answer the question for the assignment.
The Student Advocacy Website in ACES
https://www.alamo.edu/sac/about-sac/college-offices/student-advocacy-center/
Student Advocacy Center
Welcome
Welcome to the Student Advocacy Center at San Antonio College!
Providing Resources... Building Hope
Mission
Increase student retention rates by supporting student's unmet socio-economic or mental health needs which exist outside the classroom and negatively impact levels of stress, focus, and student performance.
Vision
We will demonstrate respect and care for each student as we endeavor to deeply understand their needs and work tirelessly to help remove barriers to critical basic-needs resources using holistic assessment and case management as a best practice.
About the Center
Changing the lives of our students by providing them with the resources they need to meet their basic needs so they are able to focus on their academics, increasing student performance, retention, and graduation rates, contributing to a healthy, stable, and educated community.
Officially opened in Fall 2016, led by Lisa Black, the Student Advocacy Center serves, students, faculty, and staff with a variety of programs and services to help them succeed. The Student Advocacy Center is driven by our own SAC work-study students, as well as Social Work, Counseling, and Public Health interns, from colleges across San Antonio, providing a collaborative approach to our client's needs.
Services Offered
The Store
• A food pantry available to students, staff and faculty twice a month.
Magic Closet
• A Clothes Closet available to students, staff and faculty twice a month.
Book Voucher Program
• Students can apply for a $50 voucher, which can be used at the SAC campus bookstore. Supplies are limited.
Counseling Services
Learn more
Case Management Services through Referrals:
• Application for public assistance including SNAP benefits, WIC or Medicaid.
• Emergency assistance – For services and support including housing, health care, child care, utility assistance, Grab & Go food
Additional services to be announced soon! Stay tuned.
Alamo Colleges News
https://www.alamo.edu/sac/news-events/news/2018/november/student-advocacy-center-grand-reopening/
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SAC Students Find Help (and Hope) with Newly-Expanded Advocacy Center
November 8, 2018 Russell Guerrero - Public Information Officer
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Last spring Gregory Lamar Torres, a full-time nursing student at San Antonio College did not have enough money to cover his phone bill. “I don’t have many resources to fall back on,” he explained. “Working for Uber and Lyft, not having my phone would have prevented me from making any income.”
Fortunately, Torres was able to apply for assistance at the Student Advocacy Center on the SAC Campus. “Having that resource allowed me to get my phone bill paid and kept me afloat until I got steady,” said Torres.
The Student Advocacy Center has helped students who were food or housing insecure or who needed help with social services, including paying an outstanding bill. In early November, the Student Advocacy hosted a formal grand re-opening to celebrate its move to a larger space and the expansion of services offered to students enrolled at SAC.
The need is great. A recent study reported that 41 percent of SAC students were food insecure and 44 percent were housing insecure; 11 percent were homeless. The center started by offering an on-campus food bank and a clothing pantry as well as social services provided with the help of graduate students from local universities.
Said Lisa Black, a social work professor who directs the center, “The Student Advocacy Center started in the fall of 2016 in an effort to help students with non-academic needs – the things that were preventing them from being successful. Sometimes it you don’t have food, shelter, or clothing, it’s very hard to focus on school.”
In just two years, the center helped thousands of students and sees nearly 100 students daily. Its services expanded and the center now provides counseling, group therapy, and a grab and go station where students can pick up a drink and a snack for a quick nutrition fix.
Black added, “The problems experienced here at San Antonio College are not unique to our community. There is a conversation happening across the country at community colleges and universities about the importance of recognizing the needs of our students, and coming together to provide the support on campus so they can graduate.”
Texas Public Radio
https://www.tpr.org/post/san-antonio-college-sometimes-17-can-help-stop-student-dropping-out-0
At San Antonio College, Sometimes $17 Can Help Stop A Student From Dropping Out
By CAMILLE PHILLIPS • NOV 30, 2018
In 2016, San Antonio College started a program to meet the needs of students living in poverty. Since then, the Student Advocacy Center has helped hundreds of students through financial emergencies and family crises, with the goal of keeping them on track to complete a degree.
When social work faculty member Lisa Black launched the center two years ago, the college knew anecdotally it was needed, although, Black said, they didn’t know how common it was for students to be unsure where their next meal was coming from until there was a place they could go for help. She explains, “We outgrew our space within a year. None of us were really prepared for the scale, and how fast it grew.”
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In the lobby of San Antonio College's newly renovated Student Advocacy Center students can grab a snack if they're hungry, no questions asked. |
San Antonio College President Robert Vela sees the center as a retention effort, a way to keep students enrolled in class and focused on learning: “Despite all of those challenges that our students may have, they’re still here at school. They still want to better their lives. And we’ve got to do a better job facilitating that process.” Vela said, “We want our students to stay and graduate.”
According to Black, more than 70 students a day use the center’s grab-and-go in the lobby of its new building. It’s stocked with snack items like cereal and noodle cups that students can take without answering questions. Around 160 students a month fill two bags of groceries from the food pantry upstairs. Black said they added the grab-and-go because they noticed students using the pantry because they were hungry that day: “They would burn an entire visit, where they could get sustainable food for their families to go home and cook in their kitchen because they had a math test and they hadn’t eaten or had a drink of water all day.”
Shortly after the college opened the center in 2016, SAC participated in a national community college survey conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The results were sobering: Out of the 1,600 SAC students surveyed, 25 percent said they sometimes go hungry because they can’t afford to eat. More than 40 percent said they’ve been evicted, couldn’t pay rent or moved frequently in the last year — signs of housing insecurity.
That goal of the Student Advocacy Center is to alleviate some of those problems and address the mental health concerns that can grow from stress and worry. According to Black, “If they have their utilities shut off, then it is very likely that they’re going to take a second job, or that the stress of that event when you have children at home is going to create a lot of chaos and an inability for that person to be present in a classroom.”
Mental Health
When the center opened in 2016, it was staffed by Black and four graduate students studying to get their master’s degree in social work. Now the center has two full-time counselors, two social work faculty members and 17 interns studying to become counselors and social workers.
The larger staff allows the center to offer both individual counseling and group therapy. The center now has 10 support groups, including groups for veterans and LGBTQ students. Black explains, “It is a really rich living-learning environment. Everything that we do here is practicing the work that these students are learning to do as professionals with the students who need them most.”
Emergency Grants
Black said that sometimes the inability to pay a $50 utility bill causes students to give up on college: “If you don’t have that $50, what are you going to do? You’re going to get a second job. If you get evicted, how exactly are you going to take the math test the next morning? You have to figure out a way for you and your babies have a place to lay your head at night.”
After the center opened, Black discovered that sometimes small amounts of money could make the difference between a student dropping out or continuing college: “I’ve gotten an emergency fund request as low as $17,” Black said. “On average, of the 75 students that we’ve dispersed to, it’s about $300 and it’s for all of the things that you can imagine like rent and utilities.”
Black said the center offers ongoing support to help students learn how to budget and plan for the future. But, at the end of the day, she explains, the only real solution for students is earning a degree that allows them to earn a bigger paycheck: “This is their hope. It’s the way that I escaped poverty. It’s the way that most people escape poverty.”
Other colleges in the Alamo Colleges District are following SAC’s lead. Palo Alto opened a resource center in December 2016, and Northwest Vista is slated to open a center next semester. SAC’s Student Advocacy Center is also in the process of starting a helpline that would be accessible to students at all five community colleges. Several four-year colleges in the area also have food pantries, including the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, and St. Mary’s University.
KENS 5
SAC food pantry seeking additional donations
According to the Student Advocacy Center, 48% of SAC's students experienced food insecurity over a 30-day window.
Author: Jaleesa Irizarry, Published: September 15, 2019
SAN ANTONIO — Inside the Student Advocacy Center at San Antonio College, the writing is on the wall. Literally. A poster that hangs in the hallway informs passers-by that 48% of SAC's students experience food insecurity over a 30-day window. Said Lisa Black, director of student success, "We've on-boarded just the beginning of the semester, [since] August 19, more than 270 students. Those are brand new students seeking services from us."
The uptick in students served can be challenging for programs relying greatly on donations, like the SAC's store. Sophomore and student employee Valerie Villarreal said, "We can restock on Wednesday and we'll probably be out by that next Monday. I have had student veterans who are just coming off from being deployed. I've had some of them cry because they're going through homelessness or from being hungry and they come in here and are just overwhelmed with emotion that someone cares for them."
That's a service the store wants to continue, but with the surge of students looking for help, they say they could use a hand. According to Lisa Black, "We have a great relationship with San Antonio Food Bank that's super important for this work, but more helps." Black said. With more than 150 students visiting the store each day, the pantry needs more donations—items that do more than feed a student and their family for a few days; they also represent a defining factor for their entire future.
Villareal continued, "When we're serving one student, we're really serving that one student and their family and we're making the impact of them knowing that they have that support and making that difference between dropping out and staying in college," Villarreal said. "At the end of the day it makes everything worth it."
If you are interested in donating to the San Antonio College food pantry, you can contact their office for more information via email at sac-advocacyctr@alamo.edu or by phone at (210) 486-1111.
KENS 5 Follow-up Article
San Antonio College opens Student Advocacy Center to help students in need
The school says 11 percent of its students have nowhere to call home.
Author: Erica Zucco
Published: 2:43 PM CST November 7, 2018
Many college students face challenges far more serious than picking the right major or acing a test. San Antonio College says 11 percent of its students have nowhere to call home, and 41 percent face food insecurity.
Wednesday, they held a grand reopening for its Student Advocacy Center. It was designed to feel like home, offering students help with food, clothes and counseling and whatever else they need so they can focus on their work in the classroom.
Noe Gonzalez once used the center. Now he interns there to pay it forward. "They need to be able to have the food they need to be healthy to get academic success in their studies," Gonzalez said.
The goal is to give students a hand up, not a handout. Said President Robert Vela, "It's about a point of pride so everything in the center is centered around excellence to ensure that students walk away saying, 'I am here with family, we are all here to help each other pull through so we can achieve our personal and career goals.'"
San Antonio College’s Student Newspaper, The Ranger
http://theranger.org/2019/03/07/cartoon-student-advocacy-center/
Cartoon: Student Advocacy Center
BY THE RANGER ON MARCH 7, 2019CARTOON, OPINION
Amanda Graef
http://theranger.org/2019/02/25/take-advantage-of-the-student-advocacy-center/
Take advantage of the student advocacy center
BY THE RANGER ON FEB. 25, 2019 EDITORIAL, OPINION The center provides case management services, snacks and clothes.
The student advocacy center on this campus offers a variety of social services, and students in need should take advantage of the help being provided. The center offers a food pantry, clothes closet, book voucher program, snack pantry and case management services through referrals.
The stop-and-go snack pantry is available simply by signing in with a Banner ID. The snack pantry is a great resource for all students, allowing them to take a snack and drink and quickly move on to class. The snacks include cookies, chips, crackers, fruit and candy. The drinks offered are usually flavored, carbonated or regular water.
As far as the other services go, they are reserved for students who express a dire need of assistance in finding food, shelter or other basic necessities. These students should access The Store, which includes food and toiletries, such as deodorant, toothpaste and bars of soap. If they qualify, students, staff and faculty members in need can get two bags of items from The Store twice a month. This also applies to the clothing closet.
The center also provides social workers (most of whom have graduated from this college’s social work program) who counsel students and guide them through their tough days or help them apply for public assistance programs such as SNAP, WIC or Medicaid. The help provided by the center is essential to some students, but supplies can be limited.
Those who can afford to should donate. The center takes donations of food, new toiletries and clothes. Donations should be taken to the lobby of the center. The center is a useful resource that not only helps those in need get what they require, but enables those in better positions to help out and contribute to the wellness of their peers.
The hours of operation are: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. the first Saturday of every month. For more information, call social work Professor Lisa V. Black, at 210-486-1003 or email her at sac-socw@alamo.edu.
Make sure to get help if you need it or donate if you can because one day it might be you who needs help.
Free vision screening, flu shots and health advice offered in Advocacy Center
BY THE RANGER ON OCTOBER 24, 2019 By Katelyn Earhart sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The student advocacy center is hosting a free Health and Wellness Event from 9 to 1 p.m. Nov. 2.
This event will have free vision screenings provided by The University of the Incarnate Word School of Optometry, with some families able to qualify for free glasses, lenses or eye exams.
Children who participate in this screening will receive a free book.
Essilor, an international optics company, reported “Poor vision not only affects a child’s eyesight. It can also affect his/her health, school progress, and societal integration. In fact, 80% of what children learn is acquired though visual processing.”
The student advocacy center is trying to combat these types of disadvantages by hosting this event.
Along with the vision screening, there will be flu shots available, STD/HIV screenings, dental and financial advising, and health screenings for blood pressure and glucose.
During this time, the Magic Closet will be opening its doors to both the students and their families to receive free clothing and assistance.
For more information, email Robyn Stassen at restassen@alamo.edu or call 210-486-1262.
http://theranger.org/2018/03/08/social-work-interns-help-students-in-advocacy-center/
Social work interns help students in advocacy center
BY THE RANGER ON MARCH 8, 2018NEWS
Information shared is kept confidential.
By Andrea Moreno
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Ten social work interns from Texas State University, the University of Texas at San Antonio and Our Lady of the lake universities are available in the advocacy center to help students at this college.
Their services vary according to the needs of students who visit the center, said Cynthia Williams, intern who is studying for a master’s degree in social work at OLLU.
“Just come in. We will see if we can help or we will know who can,” Williams said Feb. 28 in an interview.
The interns help students, faculty or staff who need food, clothing, utility assistance, references for child care or housing, assistance in filling out applications for a food bank or public assistance programs and book vouchers.
For example, interns provide information, refer students to outside agencies or allow students to access the food, clothing and toiletries available in the advocacy center.
The interns will find a way to help individuals solve their problems.
Some situations interns have helped others with the rental of homes or apartments.
Jose Ramirez, intern who is studying for a master’s degree in social work at OLLU, said there are times when students need a new home within a short amount of time and the interns will help look for a new one at a good price for the student.
While dealing with those types of situations, the interns ask if the individual needs something else, such as food or clothing.
When individuals seek assistance from the advocacy center, interns are the first person they see.
“We greet them, and we tell them what they can do,” Ramirez said.
The interns ask individuals to fill a form explaining if the situation needs to be taken care of now or later, he said.
“We tell them that all information is confidential and will stay between us and the individual,” Ramirez said.
Social work majors are required to have internships.
“It’s required to graduate at Our Lady of the Lake to have 450 intern hours,” Ramirez said.
Social work Coordinator Lisa Black oversees the interns.
The advocacy center is in Room 323 of Center Academic Center and is open 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. the first Saturday of the month.
https://www.alamo.edu/news--events/news/2019/10-october/alamo-colleges-san-antonio-food-bank-enhance-advocacy-centers/ Alamo Colleges, San Antonio Food Bank Enhance Advocacy Centers
October 31, 2019
At their regular October meeting, the Alamo Colleges Board of Trustees approved a partnership agreement with the San Antonio Food Bank to hire case assistance navigators for each of the five colleges’ Student Advocacy Centers.
The full-time navigators will provide a suite of food services—encompassing food for today, food for tomorrow, and food for lifetime strategies. The partners will share expenses for the additional personnel, who will be employees of the San Antonio Food Bank.
The navigators will be available on-campus at least one evening per week and the first Saturday of each month. They will primarily assist students with access to on-campus and community resources to help with financial needs as well as food, transportation and childcare. They also will help students to apply for public assistance if they qualify and assist with relevant events, including Food Fairs and community collaborations.
The navigators will use a case management approach to ensure that students are not only referred, but also supported, in accessing and connecting with relevant resources. They may also assist with the day-to-day operation of the Advocacy Centers, which are part of the Alamo Colleges’ strategy to support the economic and social mobility of its students and area residents.
Greater Need for Food at Community Colleges
By
January 7, 2021
San Antonio College, part of the Alamo Colleges District in Texas, provided nearly 89,000 pounds of food for 633 students (getting food for a total of 3,455 individuals) from September through December in 2020.
Calhoun Community College in Alabama disbursed 26 emergency grants from March through September 2020, more than twice the amount they usually disbursed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trident Technical College in South Carolina has more than doubled the amount of food it distributes each month since the pandemic began, from 2,000 pounds to 4,700 pounds.
The list goes on. Many community colleges across the country are working to meet a surge in demand for food and other basic necessities. Staff members who run these programs are concerned about what the future will hold if the pandemic, and thus the need, doesn't subside soon.
Food insecurity among college students is nothing new, but the pandemic is exacerbating the problem. A survey from Chegg.org found that nearly one-third of students said they had experienced food insecurity since the coronavirus outbreak began. More than half of respondents said they have used off-campus food banks.
San Antonio College has partnered with the San Antonio Food Bank to provide drive-through food banks at its campus, as well as the other Alamo Colleges campuses. Demand at both the colleges and the city has increased greatly during the pandemic, so the food bank has had to decrease the amount of food it can provide, and the college caps the number of students it can serve at each event.
So far, the college has been able to meet the demand, said Jillian Denman, director of the Student Advocacy Center. Students can still do counseling and get case management help virtually. The college has handed out grocery gift cards for the holidays, and it provided full Thanksgiving dinners to 65 students.
The college has also created a help line for the advocacy center so that students can call one number and be connected with the appropriate resources. Since it launched in March, the help line has received nearly 7,000 calls, she said. Denman worries that, if the pandemic continues as it is, the demand might increase as those who were limping along for the last 10 months start to struggle. "In the back of my mind, I'm always worried about the what-ifs. What if the food bank says it's out of food?" she said.
But the college has backup funds it hasn't needed to stock its pantry, which is closed right now, and its leadership recognizes the need. For example, instead of furloughing workers who couldn't work remotely, the college temporarily reassigned them to help the center.
Robert Vela, president of San Antonio College, is hopeful that the second round of COVID relief funds from Congress will help community colleges continue to provide emergency aid to students. In the last round of funding, the formula counted full-time students, resulting in lower allocations for community colleges that serve many part-time students.
The college also has some funds from its local governments, private donations and grants. But it's facing a cut in state budget appropriations that will take effect next September. "We are bracing for that cut," Vela said, though he doesn't yet know how large it will be. The college is choosing to not backfill positions so it can save money now in anticipation of continued high demand for students. "I really do believe we'll be able to meet demand" for food, he said. "What I worry about is that extra money students may need" to pay rent or cover a bill.