ISSUE UNDER CONSIDERATION AT MAY BOT MEETING Ruth Erdman Tue 4/28/2020 5:57 PM
Dear Trustee, The imminent eviction of APOYO from CWU property is a matter of deep concern to many CWU students and faculty as well as to members of the wider community. Evicting APOYO and thus gravely jeopardizing its future existence hardly seems consistent with CWU’s stated mission “to serve as a resource to the region through effective stewardship of university resources.” For over 20 years, APOYO has provided not just food, but clothing, household appliances, and even furniture to many needy people in our community, including CWU students and even faculty . (Yes, 20 years ago, when APOYO began, some faculty were paid so little that some resorted to supplementing supplies for their families with contributions from APOYO. I saw this with my own eyes when I volunteered for APOYO—and took home a box of groceries—some 20 years ago.) Surely a university that has (or even had) ambitions of being designated an HSI understands the importance of APOYO’s mission and the particular niche APOYO fills. Undocumented workers are an especially vulnerable group in our community, and many hesitate to seek assistance from other organizations such as the FISH food bank for fear of being detained and incarcerated due to their immigration status. Our community relies on immigrants’ work in, among others, the agricultural and hospitality industries. Undocumented workers need confidential, ethnically sensitive assistance, and that’s exactly what APOYO has provided for them for 20+ years. APOYO has also provided CWU with valuable student volunteer and service opportunities , helping fulfill CWU’s stated mission to “prepare students for enlightened, responsible, and productive lives” and to help students gear their intellectual achievements toward serving “the public interest.” Evicting APOYO from CWU property when it has nowhere else to go would be a blow to students, faculty, staff, community members….and CWU’s
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