Dear Lehman Alumni,
Fourteen years ago, when I decided to pursue my graduate degree at Lehman College, I had no idea of the transformative experience I signed up for. While Lehman is known for its rich history, as the interim headquarters of the United Nations and our namesake was a champion for social justice (both things that appealed to me as an international student), I was drawn to the pedagogy and passion of the faculty in the School of Education to advocate for equity for all students.
Lehman is many things to me: an educational pillar in the Bronx, an incubator for innovation and creativity, a strong, resilient community; but really, as someone who came to this country as an international student with no family, Lehman became my family.
For many of you, the same is true: Lehman is family. And that’s why I am writing to today. Our family needs our help. As Lehman’s Office of Campus Life associate director, I manage the Herbert H. Lehman Food Bank. The Food Bank of New York, which supplies us with food, has been overrun with requests. That means that I am struggling to serve the Lehman students who have relied on the Food Bank every week since its opening three years ago. We’ve ordered 400 Target gift cards, which should arrive shortly, but until then I had to send more than 200 students a link to a website with community food bank resources instead.
That’s not all.
The economic portion of this public health crisis is just beginning. In the best of times, many of our students struggle to make ends meet. For them, this epidemic isn’t just about staying home, it’s a crisis on multiple levels. One student is staying in a single room with her family members because they had to move from their apartment after a fire engulfed the grocery store downstairs. And they need food. Another student lives with her husband and two little children. They both lost their jobs and they need food. Each story is different, but the message is the same: our Lehman family needs help.
Some of you have already donated to
The Campaign for Lehman College.
Thank you so much. Your 100% tax-deductible
donation
to The Campaign for Lehman College will provide vital support for food and housing insecurity, scholarships, support for emergencies as they arise and for general operating support. If you have not yet given, please consider doing so today.
Suzette Ramsundar, ’10
Associate Director
Office of Campus Life
Lehman College
