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No matter how much we plan and prepare, no one was ready for the major detours caused by COVID-19. Getting back on track from the pandemic (which we are very much still in) has widened the pre-existing gaps in our communities. Though we are all in one way or another striving to get back to “normal,” for many, it has not been a smooth ride back.
Among those most deeply affected are our students. Beyond the challenges we witnessed during distance learning, like the digital divide and the lack of space to learn at home, this year our students continue to feel the weight of the pandemic even as they return to in-person learning. Many of our students are still confronted with the fallout of COVID-19. Their communities have been amongst the hardest hit, with the highest rates of loved ones lost. Additionally, the people most affected by unemployment were those without a college degree, with a job loss rate twice as high as those with a college degree. 76% of those we serve are first-generation college-goers, which means our students’ families were also hardest hit by job loss.
 What our counselors and advisors are seeing is the added and sustained stress of the pandemic weighing on students. College seems like a longer road than ever before. Learning loss is real in our community, and lower grades mean it is not only harder to get into college, but it also lowers your ability to pay for it. Students are more unsure about their paths and future careers. They are needing to stay closer to home, either to help with financial responsibilities or because now they simply cannot afford the cost of living anywhere else.
On the bright side, our students are resilient and vocal about their mental health needs, which have given us the ability to shift and support them in the way they need us to. While many are surfacing feelings of betrayal by their institutions, we are doing our best to fill those gaps and provide them with the support they need to succeed.
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 The Persisting Effects of COVID
After a couple of months of our students “settling in” after the big return, the pandemic continues to challenge them. This month, we came together to talk about what is really happening on the ground and at home, and what new or mounting obstacles students are facing. Read about the roadblocks on our students path to college.
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 Do you Smile with Amazon?
Did you know every time you shop on Amazon you could be supporting Fulfillment Fund? You can do so through AmazonSmile. Simply click this link and pick Fulfillment Fund as your benefiting charity or turn ON AmazonSmile in the app, and Amazon will make a small donation on your behalf to Fulfillment Fund every time you make an eligible purchase. Every penny counts!
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 Time for Midterms
Our resident blogger Laura is sharing her experience as a first-semester college student from L.A. at Columbia University. In her latest update, she tells us about her midterms and how her student life is shaping up. Like much of early adulthood, Laura is grappling with her reality versus expectations. Read more about her journey.
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 Coming Soon
2021 marks the second year which disrupted how we gather financial support from our community. It’s been challenging, we have some of the best supporters that all showed up for us last year for our end-of-year giving campaign. And, as we gear up for our annual request for support, we’d just like to say thank you! We are able to continue helping students because of you.
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Thank you to our Funders! |
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Check us out on social media! |
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6100 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 600, Los Angeles, CA 90048
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