Summertime Greetings from PCCF

Summertime Greetings from the Pueblo Community College Foundation. We are hopeful that this correspondence finds you healthy and becoming more and more comfortable with what we refer to as “our new normal”.

I am writing to bring you up to speed on post-COVID happenings at our Foundation. It goes without saying that each day presents us with a new set of challenges but thanks to wonderful associations with so many – near and far – we are working to learn and address each challenge head on!

I continue to marvel at the strength of our Foundation; thanks to support from our Executive Committee, Dr. Erjavec and her PCC team, our donors and those students that we have served from mid March through today! From the outset of the pandemic, our Foundation banded together to raise over $78,000 for those PCC students who were hit hardest when COVID reared its ugly head! Words pale as a way to express our sincere thanks to the hundreds of donors who gave in support our students in need! We have been successful in distributing the first wave of funding and continue to field requests for support. We anticipate that the funds will sustain our student needs through the end of the fall semester.

As most are aware, the PCC Foundation exists to raise funding to support student scholarships and programs of academic excellence at the College. As such, the majority of our funds raised are restricted for those purposes. When COVID-19 struck, we witnessed a drastic fall with our investments and we had to cancel the majority of our fundraising events. As such, we were forced to seriously examine our abilities to maintain our operations without compromising donor funding. We made a concerted effort not to borrow funds from our investment account and rework our existing 19/20 budget in an effort to eliminate any unnecessary expenses; conserving all unrestricted funding for a scaled-back day to day operation that would carry us to year end (June 30).

As of May 1, the decision was made to lay off two staff members (Lorna Jackson – administration and Cora Zaletel – scholarship and marketing). Robin Cope has returned to the Foundation as an interim scholarship consultant and is currently assisting with scholarship awarding for the upcoming academic year. Shauna Boyd (bookkeeping) and I continue to oversee the daily operation of the Foundation. As a bonus – if there is one amid COVID-19 – we have had the pleasure of welcoming many volunteers who have agreed to pitch in to lend support wherever needed; keeping PCCF at full-time operation.

I continue to work on the Foundation’s outreach and fundraising activities and besides coordinating the most-successful COVID campaign, we have continued to garner donor support for our scholarship program, many of the College’s programs of academic excellence and further advancement of the plan to complete PCC’s Teaching and Learning Center at St. Mary Corwin Medical Center that should open for our students in the fall of 2021.

Just recently. PCCF took a break from the daily operation to provide the healthcare workers at St. Mary Corwin and Parkview Medical Centers with thousands of bags of candy as recognition to those individuals who cared for the Pueblo community during the COVID-19 crisis. The campaign aptly named Kisses 4 Our Lifesavers provided bags of Hershey Kisses and Lifesaver candies to employees at both Pueblo hospitals. The media coverage of the Parkview delivery is below.

The 31st annual FORE! Education Golf Tournament was postponed and will take place on Friday, August 28 at the Pueblo Country Club. There will be a few changes to this year’s event to allow for the necessary social distancing requirements set forth by local and state agencies but that should not deter us from filling our two flight tournament (144 golfers) and raising funds to support PCCF!

During the month of July, we will be working on thinning and preparing the Panther Student Clothes Closet so that it is ready to open when the Pueblo PCC students return mid August. Although we suspended accepting donations and student visits from March – July, we are planning to be available for both in August.

And, just a reminder to all who are reading this note, the PCC Panther Student Pantries on all campuses (Pueblo, Fremont and Mancos) are always in need of donations of non-perishable food items and hygiene products. Normal operations will begin mid-August at each site and any and all donations for our students with food insecurities would be greatly appreciated via your personal donations or company or group food drives. For information on how to donate items, please contact the Foundation office at 719.544.0677.

Although uncertain about planing for upcoming programs and events that will take place next year, we know that our September FriendRaising Breakfast, October Scholarship Luncheon and December Donor Reception have been put on hold and we are looking toward 2021 for possible rescheduling of those events.

I hope that this information brings you up to speed on all activities at the Pueblo Community College Foundation. As always, should you have any questions and/or ideas to share with us please call (719.544.0677) or email to (Martha.simmons@pueblocc.edu). Any and all input is always welcomed and considered.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of PCCF, we send our best wishes to each of you for continued health and a summer filled with happiness!

Martha Simmons

Executive Director

Pueblo Community College Foundation