Supporting Programs

2021–2022 ANNUAL REPORT

SUPPORTING PROGRAMS

For Students Experiencing Food Insecurity

With ever-increasing costs of living, the College is committed to supporting students facing challenging circumstances like food insecurity that are barriers to pursuing their education. CCP Cares, Single Stop, and the Snack Rack Food Pantry provide essential support services for students, connecting them with emergency funds, meals, social services, and public benefits. With the generosity of donors, more than $266,000 was awarded to students through these programs in the past year.

 

Mehran Yazdanian
Mehran Yazdanian
Grady’s Community Garden
Grady’s Garden

In 2019, Mehran Yazdanian established a fund to support students who struggle with food insecurity. The Yazdanian Fund is administered by the College’s Single Stop Office, which connects students to a multitude of resources, such as housing, food, transportation, counseling, legal aid, immigration consultation, child care, free tax preparation, financial education and urgent financial assistance. Through peer-to-peer fundraising, Yazdanian’s network of family and friends raised more than $10,000 for the fund since last October.

With the Faculty and Staff Federation of Community College of Philadelphia, the American Federation of Teachers provided an $8,000 “Back to School for Everyone” grant to help with addressing student food insecurity. With this funding, the College’s Snack Rack food pantry and Grady’s Community Garden reopened in fall 2021 for in-person services to provide nutritious and much-needed food for students.

 

For Students with Disabilities

Gunter Pfau

Entrepreneur and Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) alum Gunter Pfau donated $100,000 to the College’s Center on Disability. Graduating from the College in 2002 with an Associate of Arts degree in Business, he is now the CEO of activation and commerce technology company Stuzo. Pfau, who is legally blind, gave back to show his appreciation for the help the Center provided him when he was a student.

The College’s Center on Disability fosters an educational environment that is inclusive of and accessible to the diverse population served by the College. The Center provides crucial resources, including technical services and physical aids. It also offers an encouraging support structure for students, which Pfau credits for playing a large role in his success.

“To this day, I remember the care and lessons from the counselors and professors from Community College of Philadelphia, for which I am tremendously grateful,” stated Pfau. “I owe much of my academic and professional success to my time at CCP. I am thrilled that my donation will ensure others with disabilities that attend CCP are provided with support and resources to pursue their dreams, as I did mine.”

Upon receiving his degree from the College, Pfau went on to Temple University, and in 2007 founded Stuzo, a leading provider of intelligent loyalty and contactless commerce, and cross-channel customer experience solutions for enterprises. “My disability is a daily reminder of how we are all different and that there is strength in our differences,” said Pfau. “I hope that my gift and story further encourage students to embrace their disabilities and not see them as a limiting factor, but rather as a positive part of who they are and that their disabilities can be complemented by other people no matter what career or journey they seek in life.”