Giving Day - Tuesday, December 1
Exams are supposed to be the hard part.
The Student Emergency Fund is for when an unexpected financial challenge makes staying in school harder.
Larry Hesterman has committed to match every gift to the fund, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000, from now through Giving Day. “Whether it's groceries, rent, childcare, or transportation, unexpected costs can quickly put a student's education at risk. No one should have to leave a program they're succeeding in because of a temporary financial challenge,” he says.
Give $50 and the fund receives $100.
Give through Dec. 1 and Larry Hesterman will match your gift, doubling its impact. Larry is a Regina philanthropist and community volunteer whose contributions span education, sport, arts and culture. His support includes post-secondary scholarships and community learning programs that help people build skills and pursue new opportunities.
Give now – your gift is doubled.
Faculty and staff are usually the first to notice when something has gone wrong. A student who suddenly isn’t in class, or who’s there but can’t focus. Most of the time, the student figures it out on their own. Sometimes, they ask for help. The Student Emergency Fund is for when they do.
“Because you told me, I can help you now.”
Robyn Mauza is program head for Medical Laboratory Assistant and Phlebotomy in the School of Health Sciences. She gives to the Student Emergency Fund through payroll deduction. Here is why.
Every so often, a student tells me something that makes me want to open my wallet right there. Sometimes, they’re considering dropping out – not because of the coursework, but because of everything around it. Housing that fell through on short notice, no shifts at work. Everything costs more now, and there’s less room for anything to go wrong. Money is rarely the only problem, but it’s hard to focus at school when you can’t afford to buy groceries.
I can’t hand a student cash. What I can do, though, is connect them with counselling and with the Student Emergency Fund, and give to the fund so there’s something in it when they get there.
It can be challenging to find a lump sum to donate. There’s always an expense that seems to come out of nowhere. But I’ve found a small amount off each pay cheque is an easy way to give back, and most paydays, I almost forget about it. When I remember, I’m proud.
I often tell my students that if they take one thing from me beyond the course material, I hope it’s how to ask for help. I want them to come to me, so I can say: because you told me, I can help you now.
Robyn Mauza, Program Head, Medical Laboratory Assistant and Phlebotomy, School of Health Sciences, Saskatchewan Polytechnic
If you work at Sask Polytech, you can also do what Robyn does: set up a payroll deduction and give a little every payday, all year.
Last year, 159 Sask Polytech students received more than $144,000 in emergency bursary support, helping them stay focused on their education when unexpected challenges arose. The Student Emergency Fund is the part of that help this community provides.
Giving Day is one way it gets replenished.
Help a student get through the week everything goes wrong.
Give now – your gift is doubled.
Contact Us
For more information, email us at saskpolytech.donations@saskpolytech.ca or call 306-775-7410.
