USC launches outreach programs to assist community


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USC has created four funds to support the University and South Los Angeles community amid the spread of the coronavirus, President Carol Folt announced Monday in a schoolwide email. The outreach projects will fund students’ basic needs, Keck Medicine of USC’s emergency response, community support and employee assistance. 

“As we go through these times and I think of your dedication and commitment, it’s a constant reminder to me and to our entire community that we will not only weather this crisis, but we will emerge stronger,” Folt said in a video message to students, faculty and staff.

The USC Student Basic Needs Fund aims to cover student costs related to housing expenses, food insecurity, emergency travel, income loss and technology upgrades needed for remote instruction, among other financial burdens.

The USC Community Outreach Fund will provide meals to families and children living near campus, support for the elderly and people with disabilities through wellness calls and supportive outreach, job opportunities and financial resources for unemployed workers, assistance to surrounding small business and nonprofits and mental health and housing services to those in South L.A. neighborhoods. 

The fund for Keck Medicine health professionals will support those working on the front lines during the crisis. Donations will go toward purchasing masks, gloves, gowns, face shields and other personal protective equipment, along with providing ventilators and testing kits. The fund will also help bolster new quarantining areas for those in recovery who are not yet ready to return home, freeing up space for incoming patients.

The USC Employees Support Fund aims to provide aid to nearly 28,000 staff and faculty employed at the University. While USC has extended paid administrative until mid-April from the original March 26 date, the fund will serve as supplementary support for expenses such as unexpected child care and health care costs, income loss and technology requirements to work from home.