ROSEBURG, Oregon – The Associated Students of Umpqua Community College (ASUCC) need help to fill this bus. On Friday, Aug. 24, ASUCC is hosting its first-ever Fill the Bus event. Between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., the bus will be set up in the Roseburg Fred Meyer parking lot and ASUCC will be collecting items for Umpqua Community College (UCC) students. The goal is to gather non-perishable food items, school supplies, and hygiene items through donations.

ASUCC Leadership recognizes that not all students have the necessary resources to take care of basic needs. When basic needs go unmet, it becomes challenging for students to engage in their education; instead, they worry about how to feed, clothe, and clean themselves. Some students start the term without their textbooks or class supplies. Others do not have reliable transportation or may not have the funds to pay for a tank of gas. ASUCC Leadership wants to see students be successful; these services play a role in making sure that happens.

“The Fill the Bus event is a new community awareness/outreach event,” Marjan Coester, UCC’s Director of Student Life, said. “Not only do we want to make the community aware of how we are supporting student success (and why it is important to do so), we are also using this event to let students know what services are available to them.”

ASUCC has been actively providing students with supplemental support for the past decade. In 2009, the group established its ASUCC Student Services program when it started Project CANS (Campus Advocates for Nourishing Students). Since then, ASUCC Leadership has added the Library Textbook Reserve, backpacks, gas cards, bus passes, hygiene products, clothing closet, shoes, and meat vouchers, to the services available to students. In the upcoming year, laundromat vouchers will be added.

The resources ASUCC helped me with were very helpful in my time of need, LW, a UCC student, said. I’m very happy to know that there are resources like this that can help the students.

The Fill the Bus event is being co-sponsored by local radio station KQUA 99.7 FM.

About Umpqua Community College

Nestled in the beautiful North Umpqua River Valley, Umpqua Community College is the regional center for higher education in Douglas County, Oregon. UCC provides high quality college degree programs, workforce development, and community learning opportunities.

Contact

Jantyne Bunce – Contact
UCC Lead Peer Mentor
Phone: 541-440-7948