For Immediate Release
Contact: Brianna Williamson, Recruiter/Alumni & Development Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2483
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: July 27, 2022
Lancaster Community Fund supports Southwest Tech students
Fennimore -
Southwest Tech Foundation Director Kim Schmelz (left) accepts the Lancaster Community Fund Grant from Dana Straka (right), Lancaster Community Fund Advisory Board member and secretary.
The Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Foundation has received a $1,150 grant from the Lancaster Community Funds Spring 2022 Grant Cycle of the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, Inc. The grant funds will be used to support Southwest Tech’s Fuel a Charger program which provides gas cards to students to assist with costs associated with commuting, internships, clinicals and other employment opportunities.
This grant is made available from the Community Foundation’s Morse Family Fund of the Lancaster Community Fund. The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin is a resource for area nonprofit organizations whose programs and services are working for the betterment of our communities. Grants from the Morse Family Fund of the Lancaster Community Fund have supported the arts, education, environment, health and human services and historic preservation.
Southwest Tech is responsible for serving students across five counties and 3,800 square miles, all of which is rural and offers no form of public transportation. Southwest Tech students must rely on their own transportation to get to and from home, campus, work, and oftentimes, transportation expenses become a barrier for students. On average Southwest Tech provides 500 gas cards per year to students in need, but the college is seeing an increased need recently. “The increase in gas prices along with the rising costs on essential needs has definitely affected our students,” said Kim Schmelz, Foundation Director. “We feel very fortunate that the Lancaster Community Fund sees the value in helping us support students by providing these funds.”
For more information about the Fuel a Charger program or other funding opportunities with Southwest Tech, contact the Southwest Tech Foundation office at 608.822.2379.
For more information on how to support the community through the Community Foundation, contact Dave Murphy at dave@cfsw.org or by phone (608) 758-0883 ext. 7010 or visit www.cfsw.org.