Nearly two third’s of BMCC’s 18,000 students are women, “and many of them straddle two worlds,” says Brian Haller, director of foundation and corporate relations. “One is a world where they might easily slip into poverty; the other is the world of the campus, where they have an opportunity to succeed academically and become economically self-sufficient.” To give those students an extra measure of support and the best possible chance of success, the Women’s Resource Center has created a portfolio of innovative programs, for which it has recently received funding from the Helena Rubinstein Foundation and the Liz Claiborne Foundation.
From workshops to one-on-one sessions
According to its director, Debbie Parker, the Women’s Resource Center sponsors a range of activities designed to educate and assist women students in areas relating to academics, parenting and career skills, as well as such concerns as wellness, domestic violence, substance abuse, and relationships. The Center also provides referrals to health and social service providers and the opportunity for informal one-on-one sessions – “whether it’s to help them deal with a specific crisis, such as the threat of eviction or domestic violence, or simply to gain some perspective on dealing with academic pressures.” A “Respite Room,” serves as a multipurpose space “where women can meet informally in a non-threatening setting and gain temporary refuge from daily pressures,” Parker says.
Many of the women who use the Women’s Resource Center are single parents, “doing their best to raise children, hold down jobs, and keep up with their studies,” Parker says. “Sometimes the pressure becomes overwhelming. What we try to do is help them keep their balance.” The Center also maintains an “emergency fund,” which can be used to help students get through short-term crises. “It’s happened more than once – a student falls behind on the rent without even realizing it, and then receives an eviction notice the Monday before finals,” says Parker. “It’s a scary situation, and apart from whatever advice or referrals we may offer, we might also be able to give them enough money to get them through the next week or so. That way the immediate pressure is eased while they figure out their next step.”
Sister-to-sister mentoring
The grant from the Helena Rubinstein Foundation will support both the Center’s emergency fund and an expansion of its workshops; the Liz Claiborne Foundation funding will be used to launch a “Sister-to-Sister” mentoring program that will be available to all women students upon entering the freshman class.
“BMCC serves a population of women with needs that are often more compelling than those you’d find at a four-year private college,” says Haller. “The Rubinstein and Claiborne Foundations understand that they can make a real difference in these students’ lives.”
