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
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 here. This 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
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)