Sarah Wright is currently helping to implement Investigations into Economic Class in America at North Carolina State University and will present a free webinar in the coming months. This excerpt from an article Wright sent us discusses an effort to recycle unwanted household goods at NC State.
By connecting students with furniture and household items, Pack2Pack has relieved some of the financial stress faced by many Pack Promise students. Even with tuition assistance, many Pack Promise students struggle to afford college, often working multiple jobs and perhaps still facing lack of access to basic resources, according to Sarah Wright, who coordinates student support services for Pack Promise.
“The financial aid package covers the cost of attendance, not the cost of life,” Wright said.
Pack2Pack removes a resource barrier, allowing students to redirect financial resources to other vital needs such as food, housing, healthcare or educational experiences …
“These students know the assistance they need, they know the assistance their peers need, so they [volunteer]. They are the epitome of ‘Think and Do,’” Wright said.
As Pack2Pack wraps up its work for this academic year by delivering furniture and other large items to students, [Taylor] Spoon and others are brainstorming how to build on the project’s success and expand the program.
