City College News

Mary Ann Prado has seen about 300 students experiencing homelessness and hunger since she started working as the Director of Resource and Referral Services at MCTC in May 2008. It's her job to connect with students who are experiencing hunger and homelessness to find services so that they can find or stay in housing and stay fed and clothed.

During the week of April 20, MCTC students had the opportunity to work as a community- those who were able donated non-perishable food goods and hygiene items such as toothbrushes to the second MCTC food drive. The collected food and hygiene items were distributed to in-need students along with other goods and necessities such as diapers and clothes on April 29.

The biggest thing Prado does is listen and let people tell her their story- it's how the road to help begins. Through listening, Prado has learned that the greatest issues that impact students at MCTC dealing with hunger and homelessness are the challenges that they face just trying to stay in school.

The issues that hungry and precariously housed students deal with that create a harsh reality for them. Among the issues are make up that harsh reality may be a lack of credit history, criminal convictions, a past evection and housing that will not rent to students.

"I'm here to be an advocate for you," Prado said. That means that as the Director of Resource and Referral Services, Prado connects in-need students to services she has found in the greater community such as Youthlink and Heading Home Minnesota.

She also hopes that students will create a community and watch out for each other. The more students who know about available resources the better, because it means more people get help. The more students who get help, the stronger the community at MCTC will be - it's a continuing cycle - a cycle that will start with participating in the hunger and homeless awareness week food drive.

Sometimes, Prado explains, it's just easier to go to a fellow student or friend than a staff member. The idea is that we learn how to be advocates for each other, to watch out for each other. By having as many students on campus aware of the issue as possible, Prado has hopes some of the isolation, loneliness and stigma will fade.

Prado has long-term goals in addition to meeting the basic and immediate needs of students who are experiencing the pain of hunger and homelessness.

Some of those goals include mobilizing student leaders on campus - helpers in the cause, a rental assistance program and opening up the campus for organizations like Youthlink to have office hours. She also hopes that with time, individual students will learn how to be advocates for them to continue down a road of self-sufficiency.

Prado stressed that what it all comes down to is creating a sense of community on campus. If we all recognize the need and are willing to help each other out, MCTC will be a healthier, happier, more positive student community.

If you need help with housing, food assistance or childcare, please contact Mary Ann Prado by calling her at (612) 659-6706 or e-mailing her at maryann.prado@minneapolis.edu. She would also love to hear from students who are looking to volunteer to help their fellow in-need students.

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