Adopt-a-family story

[MountainLaurel]

I'm just stunned and appalled at the moment, and I thought this might be a good place to vent. My department is participating in the university's adopt-a-family campaign as we apparently do every year (this is my first year here) and we were assigned three families. We have more than 20 employees, so between all of us the coordinating staffer figured we could handle that (two of the families have only two peole: a parent and child, or an adult child and an elderly parent).

Chatting with the person coordinating our efforts, I found out that all of the families involved in the program have one person employed by our university. A university that charges $30,000 a year, plus room and board. (And these staffers work at the law school, which charges even more.) My employer is a "religious" institution whose motto translates to "Care for the whole person." You know what the main thing these families asked for? Gift cards to the grocery store.

These people are working full time at a school getting $30K-plus per student, that claims to follow Christ's tenets, and they can't fucking afford to eat!

[acmejack]

1. Hoya?

That is the Jesuit motto, is it not?

[MountainLaurel]

2. Yep.

:hi:

[shrike]

3. At the Catholic college where I live, it's the students that need help

This school is associated with the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. The college's mission statement is to administer to a student body that might not otherwise go to college. They don't require an SAT or ACT. They're the only four-year college in the area that accepts GED students. When I remarked that a lot of the students look like gang members, the faculty member I addressed said, "Oh, but they are."
Every time there's a food drive or coat drive or boot drive or whatever, the proceeds almost always go to students and their families. A lot of them can barely keep afloat.

What part of the country do you live in? I remember when I lived in the northeast, anyone who made less than $25,000 a year STRUGGLED.

[ThomCat]

4. it's good and the bad.

It's horrible that company execs (across the board) feel they are good citizens while paying below-subsistence pay to so many people.

But it's good that your company offers this adopt a family program. It's a bandaid on a fatal wound, but it's far more than most companies ever do.

I'd participate in something like that here. But you're right that wages should be higher and more equitable too.

[Nikia]

5. My college had a full staff meeting

That included all employees including faculty, administrators, physical plant employees, and non student dining hall employees. Some of the more professional level employees said "We should do something for the poor this holiday season." The physical plant and dining hall employees said "We are the poor." I graduated in 2000. Regular (non student, non "oppurtunity" employee) dining hall employees started at $7.00/hour.

[ThomCat]

6. I hope some of the over-paid people at the top listened.

Somehow I doubt it. But it would be nice to be wrong.