NEWS
MARCH 5, 2021 | 3
FSU coat exchange By Haley Hadge Staff Writer A Coat Share Drive, organized by Student Services, is located in the McCarthy Center Lobby at the transportation desk, and will be operating through the end of March. According to Kay Kastner, coordinator of student support initiatives, the purpose of the Coat Share Drive is to “provide a source of coats to students, faculty, staff, and the community at large who may be in need to help comba he diffic ies of in er. Centrally located, but slightly c ed a ay i h o raffic - he ocation of the Coat Share is intended to limit possible unease or embarrassment one might feel when in need of a coat, said Kastner. e find ha his o ers he barrier
a little bit,” she said. Those not in need of a coat who may be beginning their spring cleaning and decluttering early can leave a coat for a fRAMily member in need - whether they are living on or off-campus. Anyone is eligible to donate, said Kastner. In addition to donations from within the fRAMily, the Coat Share Drive is also sponsored by Circle of Hope, said Kastner, an organization that provides a regular supply of coats throughout the season. “It is always nice to be able to have that kind of support from organizations,” said Kastner. Providing service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging since about 70% of the community is working remotely, said Kastner. However, the Coat Share has been “highly utilized.”
Although the exact number of coats accessed by community members through the drive is near impossible to a y, d e o he fl c a in in a e and outtake - it is estimated that “50 coats at least have gone out to people so far this year,” said Kastner, and it will continue to run as long as there is a need shown within the FSU community. The Coat Share Drive concludes at the end of March. However, coats will continue to be available in the Rams Resource Center at the food pantry, said Kastner. Additionally, this Coat Share Drive runs every semester - therefore, providing a consistent resource for the FSU community, she said. This is a small way to “complement” the other initiatives that Student Services organizes, such as a food pantry, an emergency meal bank through the
Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST
FSU Coat Share Drive coats located in the McCarthy Center.
Rams Resource Center, and interview attire available through Career Services Center, said Kastner. Therefore, the purpose of these initiatives is to ensure multiple ways to “help support Framingham State’s core mission of making higher education accessible to people of a variety of different backgrounds,” said Kastner. She said, “If a student’s answer to the question, ‘Are you struggling?’ is es, hen co e o y office and e can have a conversation. … You don’t have to be alone.” By working very closely with the Counseling Center, the Health Center, CASA, Student Accounts, Financial Aid, as well as outside organizations that have youth programs, she added, she can serve as a liaison for students and help them get access to the type of assistance they need. “This [Coat Share Drive] is one program that helps to serve the University’s mission of having accessible educa ion for e erybody, b i a so fi s into that broader mission,” said Kastner. “Connecting them [students] with the resources to deal with those external stressors,” so they can reach their highest academic and professional potential while maintaining a healthy mind and body is something that Student Services is equipped to provide students with, said Kastner. “I can help them to tease out all of the different areas in which they are struggling,” she said. “There are different layers of strugin , fro en a hea h o financia issues. These types of “external stressors” can be addressed and assessed, Kastner said. Kay Kastner can be reached by phone at 508-626-4596 and by email at kkastner@framingham.edu.
CONNECT WITH HALEY HADGE hhadge@student.framingham.edu
Gatepost Interview continued from page 2
belt in Taekwondo.
i e i e spor s a o - o e fishin . e a o of s ff fro fishin . y hobby is like the stock market. I love reading about stock market trends and a lot of that stuff informs my work as well. So I would say that you know I love pop-country music. … I have a black
What is your number one piece of advice to students? My number one advice to students is to ask for help. Obviously, when … something’s going wrong, ask for help, but also, when it comes to a career path and you want career advice or talk to
Weather
Sunday night March 7 Mostly clear. Low near 20. NW winds around 5 mph.
Monday night March 8 Partly cloudy. Low near 30. SW winds around 5 mph.
Monday March 8 Sunny. High near 40. NW winds around 5 mph.
Tuesday March 9 Mostly sunny. High near 55. W winds around 5 mph.
someone that knows - make those relationships with people. I think you would be surprised how many people want to help you and are willing to help you if you reach out and take the time. But I have found that some opportunities I’ve gotten, some of the best advice and quick solutions, have come from asking someone and not being afraid
that they’re not wanting to talk to me or they won’t want to help me out. I think that you’d be surprised that if you’re a hard worker and you’re honest and sincere, a lot of people do want to help. CONNECT WITH ASHLYN KELLY akelly8@student.framingham.edu
Forecast provided by the National Weather Service www.weather.gov Tuesday night March 9 Wednesday night Partly cloudy. Low near March 10 30. W winds around 5 Mostly cloudy. Low near mph. 40. SW winds around 5 mph. Wednesday March 10 Mostly sunny. High near 60. S winds around 5 mph.
Thursday March 11 Mostly cloudy. High near 60. SW winds around 10 mph.
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