Dear campus community,

As we continue through the semester and experience so many of the joys that go along with more in-person activities and events on campus, I remain keenly aware of the need to proactively address issues of food and housing insecurity as well as other basic needs experienced by Spartan students. 

We address these needs through an initiative called SJSU Cares, which offers individualized support by connecting students experiencing economic crises, housing insecurity or lack of quality food to a number of critical and tangible resources. Last week, our Vice President for Student Affairs, Patrick Day, shared the exciting news about SJSU Cares’ new office space in Clark Hall.

I am pleased today to kick off a timely and related campaign, one that begins today and continues until Dec. 10. Known as “Share Your Spartan Heart,” the campaign is intended to raise awareness among students that SJSU Cares services are available, and give faculty, staff and students a way to support these efforts. The campaign offers all members of our campus community the opportunity to donate to SJSU Cares and thus help those students in need with food and emergency housing support.

There are several easy and convenient ways to contribute, including:

• small point-of-sale donations at any campus register;
• dining plan donations to a fellow Spartan in need;
• the use of the Boost mobile food service platform to donate a small portion of your meal transaction; and
• donations to a variety of campus charity drives.

Of course, one of the best ways to support these efforts is to share this information with a fellow Spartan who may need help. More information and details on the campaign can be found at the Share Your Spartan Heart website.

San José State University is committed to supporting the academic and personal wellbeing of our students. We know that food insecurity and housing concerns, among other basic needs, can prevent the success of our students. SJSU Cares and the Spartan Food Pantry are meaningful resources designed to help eliminate these vexing problems and the stigma that some feel in asking for help, and our support of those initiatives will help them to remain viable  and sustainable for as long as our students need them.

I am grateful for our outstanding SJSU Cares and Spartan Food Pantry staff, the work they do each day and the commitment they demonstrate to serving our students. I cannot thank them enough, and I also appreciate our students and community partners for continuing to shine a light on the needs of our student population.

Thank you in advance for your help in making the inaugural Share Your Spartan Heart campaign a success. Together, we can make a difference and keep our students on the path to success.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary A. Papazian
President