ASWC Support

As an organization created for the students, we believe we have the platform and privilege  to assist students during this  time. Here’s some ways we can help

Ask for Help

ASWC Emergency Fund

The ASWC Emergency Fund is a fund intended for students facing severe financial distress in an emergency situation with very limited options. Check eligibility requirements here. If you are a student in need, email aswc_finance@whitman.edu for more information. To apply for the ASWC Emergency Fund, click here.

Club Resources

Opportunities to stay engaged and connected are very limited right now. While we can’t budget for clubs the way we used to, funds are still available for resources to aid any club meeting idea you might have. Here are some FAQs for this fund, and here is the application. We are also still affiliating clubs with ASWC, so if you want to start the affiliation process, email aswc_president@whitman.edu.

Ways to Help

Volunteer to help Walla Walla

Many families are now facing new challenges as a result of COVID. These challenges will hit hard for the elderly, low-income wage earners, single-parent homes, the undocumented and those with compromised immune systems. The Walla Walla Mutual Aid Network has started a GoFundMe to raise funds to provide emergency food assistance to vulnerable community members, medicine delivery for those who are sick, and small stipends for families to cover basic human needs as a result of layoffs or sickness. To contribute to their GoFundMe, click here. You can visit their website here and sign up to volunteer.

The American Red Cross is facing a major blood shortage and is in desperate need of donations. If you’re healthy and able, consider going to a community drive or donation center. Environments will be sterilized and there’s no way to transfer coronavirus through a blood transfusion. Find a blood drive near you here

Blue Mountain Action Council | Assist low-income families in Walla Walla

Christian Aid Center (Walla Walla Rescue Mission) | Provide meals and shelter for homeless and low-income neighbors

Operation Face Mask | Provide free cloth face masks to front line essential workers 

Walla Walla Alliance for the Homeless | Provide needs for unsheltered or homeless neighbors 

YWCA of Walla Walla | Provide resources for sexual and domestic assault

Local Foodbank 

National Domestic Worker’s Alliance | Support domestic workers like nannies, housecleaners, and in-home caretakers

Feeding America | Nation’s largest hunger-relief organization

United Nations Foundation’s COVID-19 Response | Donations support WHO’s work

Partners in Health (PIH) | Support response to control the spread of the virus and assist care and prevention

Global Giving | Send doctors, nurses, and first responders to communities in need to purchase masks, ventilators, and other medical supplies

Meals on Wheels | Brings food to the elderly so they can stay in their homes

Voting Resources
During COVID-19

We know that when more people vote, our environment and communities win. 20% of Washingtonians who are eligible to vote are not registered, especially among communities of color, young people, and people historically disenfranchised from the voting system. 

With the current COVID-19 pandemic limiting our ability to register people to vote in person, it’s even more important that we use the online tools at our disposal to disseminate voter information. Washington state is fortunate enough to have strong voting laws that allow people to register and update voter information online, vote by mail, and update voter registration close to the deadline to vote. Click here to vote.

The Brennan Center for Justice has put together a comprehensive guide of resources and information on voting. Click here to learn more.

The Brennan Center for Justice has started a petition asking Congress to allot at least $4 billion to elections. To sign the petition, click hereThis money will go towards 

1. Increasing capacity to vote by mail. This requires an overhaul of our voting system so that it can process tens of millions of additional mail ballots. 

2. Maintaining safe and sanitized in-person voting. Polling places will need more staff, expanded early voting days/hours, larger locations, and sanitation supplies for poll workers and voters. 

3. Expand online voter registration. The 39 states that already offer registration need to bolster their systems to accommodate a surge and make sure that everyone can access them. States without online registration capabilities need to set up systems immediately, or take other measures to ensure their registration rolls are adequate and up-to-date.

 

Click here to take the 2020 Census. Why is the Census so important? 

1. Apportion. State population counts from the decennial census are used to reapportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

2. Redistricting. State and local officials use decennial census results to help redraw congressional, state, and local district boundaries.

3. Money to State and Localities. Census totals help determine the amount of funding that state governments and local communities receive from the federal government for the next decade.

4. Planning. Data from the census inform a wide range of government, business, and nonprofit decision making.

5. Emergency Response. Detailed population information is critical for emergency response in the wake of disasters.

6. A Base for Federal Surveys. Decennial census data provide a population base for dozens of federal surveys.

Student Resources

On Campus Resources

Health Resources

Health Center 

No walk-ins, contact (509) 527-5295 or (509) 527-5281 for a consult. 

Nursing hours 9am-5pm on weekdays | Medical provider hours 9-10am daily 

Providence Virtual Appointments with a healthcare provider

Food Access and Resources

I can’t afford food right now.

The GAC | Offers free food to on-campus students in need.

Hours 8am-8pm with wipe access, 26 Boyer Ave.

 

Blue Mountain Action Council | Offers food to low income areas in Walla Walla.

Hours Every Saturday 11am-11pm, 921 W. Cherry St. 

 

 

If you are living on campus and your financial aid or food is running low, you can contact Dean of Students Kazi 

Joshua for assistance.  

Self-Isolating Students

If you are self-isolating, food can be delivered to you on campus. Contact your RA, RD, or the Residence Life Office for food delivery requests.

Grocery Stores Hours

✨Safeway (Rose St. & Plaza Way) 

Daily Hours 7am-10pm | Senior & At-Risk Hours 7-9am Tuesday/Thursday

Super-1    

Daily Hours 7am-8pm | Senior & At-Risk Hours 7-9am Tuesday/Thursday 

✨Albertsons

Daily Hours 7am-10pm | Senior & At-Risk Hours 7-9am Tuesday/Thursday 

✨Walmart College Place Supercenter

Daily Hours 7am-8:30pm | Senior (Only age 60+) Hours 6-7am Tuesdays

✨Offering delivery

Key to Crowns

Key to Crowns is willing to pick up and deliver food to those in need. To request help, message Key to Crowns on their Facebook page or call (818) 252-9564. 

Social Distancing Activities

Aside from immediate + essential help, we wanted to provide resources for adjusting to social distancing. Here are a few things that have lifted our spirits or offered platforms for entertainment and connection during this time.

Here’s a quick guided yoga practice to help you feel your best.

John Krasinski started a YouTube channel to spread good news and positivity.  

“Never has such a flavorful, hearty, and warming meal come together so quickly or using so many pantry staples.” Click here to make some comfort food.   

ASWC, WEB, the Wire, and other independent student groups have come together to create the Whitman Virtual Campus. The Whitman Virtual Campus Talent Share is a platform for Whitman students to share various talents and skills with each other via video, with the purpose of ensuring that the Whitman community stays connected, entertained, and picks up a fun new skill amidst this tough time of separation. Do you have a skill/talent to share? Submit your proposal here

The Creativity Commons is a platform for students to connect through creativity. Its goal is to provide a centralized location for students to share their creative projects with the rest of the Whitman community. Submit your creations and share with your fellow students how you have stayed mentally active and creative. Visit the Creativity Commons here!

Mental Health Resources

A group of ASWC, Wire, WEB, and independent passionate students started a mental health committee to release weekly newsletters. These are sent out to Whitman students weekly, but you can also view them below.  

Mental Health Resources for the Whitman Community

Maintaining Mental Health During Distanced Learning

Taking Advantage of the Counseling Center and Other Resources

Activities to Increase Positive Emotion

Maintaining a Healthy Relationship with Food During COVID-19

911 or Campus Safety | (509) 527-5777

Counseling Center | (509) 527-5195

The National Suicide Prevention Hotline | (1-800-273-8255)

National Helpline | (1-800-662-4357) 

Crisis Text Line | Text HOME to 741741

LGBTQ+ Students | Text START to 678678

Students of color | Text STEVE to 741741

The Veterans Crisis Line | (1-800-273-8255) press 1

The Trevor Project | (1-866-488-7386)

Trans Lifeline | (877-565-8860)

The National Sexual Assault Hotline | (1-800-656-4673)

The National Domestic Violence Hotline | (1-800-799-7223)