For Immediate Release
Contact: Brianna Williamson, Recruiter/Alumni & Development Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2483
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: December 8, 2022
Southwest Tech Foundation raises over $7,000 for on-campus food pantry
Fennimore -
Brianna Williamson, recruiter/alumni and development specialist, Jadyn Jenks, student worker, and Janet Giese, coordinator of Chargers Cupboard, stand with the in-kind donations collected on Giving Tuesday.
The Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Foundation increased funding for the Chargers Cupboard on Nov. 29, during the annual Giving Tuesday campaign. Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving and is held each year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. The Southwest Tech Foundation identifies a student support fund to spotlight for Giving Tuesday each year and due to increased usage and need, the Chargers Cupboard was selected this year. In total, $7,437 was raised through in-kind and monetary donations.
The Chargers Cupboard was created in 2009 to provide nutritional food support to Southwest Tech students, allowing them to focus on their education. In the 2021-22 academic year the Chargers Cupboard supported 759 students and has been visited by over 2,500 students since 2018. For every $10 donated, the Chargers Cupboard is able to provide 25 meals to students through Southwest Tech’s partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank.
Janet Giese, coordinator for the Chargers Cupboard, was amazed by the support received during the Giving Tuesday campaign. “I am overwhelmed and shocked at the generosity of our students, faculty, staff, and friends of the college who donated to the Chargers Cupboard this year,” she said.
To encourage student participation, the Foundation offered a pizza party to the program that brought in the most in-kind donations. A list of the most needed items was provided and over the course of two weeks, various programs across campus collected donations. Giese said of the student donations, “I was thrilled to see many of the most needed items coming in, but I also appreciate the creativity with the donations and what students thought others could use. This has given me ideas to suggest for next time.”
“We’re extremely grateful for the support that we saw through our Giving Tuesday campaign,” said Brianna Williamson, Foundation staff member and Giving Tuesday coordinator. “The Chargers Cupboard is a wonderful resource to have on our campus for our students and the Foundation is very grateful for the in-kind and monetary donations we were able to collect and contribute to the Chargers Cupboard during this campaign.”
The Southwest Tech Foundation was incorporated in 1980 to identify, solicit, and manage alternative funding sources to support the commitment to excellence of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial support for Southwest Tech’s programs, students and staff. For more information on how to support scholarships or other support funds, contact the Southwest Tech Foundation at 608.822.2379 or visit www.swtc.edu/donate
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is one of 16 institutions that comprise the Wisconsin Technical College System. Southwest Tech offers more than 60 programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Courses are offered on campus, online and in a blended format. The college provides apprenticeship, certificate, technical diploma, and associate degree programs that respond to district workforce needs and prepare student for family-sustaining jobs and career advancement. |