News
TECHNICIAN
PAGE 3 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018
NC State community rallies to help those impacted by Hurricane Florence
DAVID TRACEY/TECHNICIAN
NC State Facilities Division employees remove damaged tree branches on Dan Allen Drive on Wednesday, Sept. 12. All classes beginning from noon Wednesday through the following Monday were canceled.
Alicia Thomas Assistant News Editor
NC State student organizations and campus partners have been working since the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in a variety of ways to help not only students who were affected by the hurricane, but also communities in North Carolina that are still dealing with the impacts of the storm. Pack Essentials, an initiative designed by Student Ombuds Services in the Division of Academics and Student Affairs, was created for students who are struggling with finding food, housing and financial insecurity. “Since the hurricane, most of what’s coming through is hurricane related,” said Mike Giancola, assistant vice provost and Student Ombudsperson. “As I’ve worked to connect with those students
and understand those needs, many of them do have financial needs that because of the hurricane, they don’t have access to food, or their parents were supporting them and now their parents can’t support them.” According to Giancola, Pack Essentials was created to help connect students to resources in a centralized and individualized way. The resources are shared through the Pack Essentials website and cater to the personal needs of students, whether it is their access to resources for food or other career services. Student Body President Jess Errico, a fifth-year studying aerospace and mechanical engineering, said that Student Government will support student organizations and departments in their efforts to help the larger North Carolina community by being a platform for organizations to communicate their hurricane
relief efforts. “Student Government has primarily operated in a supporting role to other campus partners who are looking to support those affected,” Errico said. “It is important to us that we are looking to help not only those who are affected but specifically, in particular focus and help NC State students who were affected.” Since Hurricane Florence, Pack Essentials has been a resource for many students to get the assistance they need because of the impact the storm has had on their lives. Giancola described the process. “It used to be that a student would fill out a form for the student emergency fund, and then if they needed other supports, they would fill out other applications,” Giancola said. “Over the summer, we really worked to try to streamline that process. We wanted students to fill out
one application and that one application, the Pack Essentials application, would come to me and also Financial Aid and then we work together to determine what the student might be eligible for.” The Student Emergency Fund is a large tool for Student Ombuds, as it gives students who need financial assistance, due to emergency situations, up to $500, depending on the need, from individuals that donate to DASA. Giancola said that students are free to reach out to Student Ombuds even if they are uncertain if they will need the resources. “In some cases, the students just need someone to connect to, to understand their situation,” Giancola said. “So as I go through and find out that they’re not currently experiencing food, housing or financial insecurity, but help them
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