Wesley House Student Residence Inc.

TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO AFFORDABLE STUDENT HOUSING AT SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY AND OTHER COLLEGES IN THE AREA BY OPERATING, MANAGING, AND PROVIDING AFFORDABLE STUDENT HOUSING ADJACENT TO SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AND OFFERING STUDENT OUTREACH AND SUPPORT. THE MISSION OF WHSR IS TO EMPOWER QUALIFYING STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS THROUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICES. WHSR IS AN INNOVATIVE EXAMPLE OF HOW A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CAN ASSIST COLLEGE STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY LOW INCOME AND FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS, SUCCEED AT A UNIVERSITY, FACTS EVIDENCE THAT THE DROPOUT RATE FOR THESE STUDENTS CAN BE DRASTIC BUT WITH ASSISTANCE AND MENTORING, THEY CAN GRADUATE TO HAVE A RICHER, MORE PRODUCTIVE LIFE.

Our vision is to provide an equitable college experience to all low-income and marginalized students

Goal One: Ensure WHSR student support services are available and accessible to all students in need in San Diego County. This includes food pantry access, seminars, mentorships, tutoring, and social services.

Goal Two: Create a building reserve fund to support repairs and updates to our housing and expand the number of affordable housing units available to students in need.

Goal Three: Position the organization as the leading experts and thought leaders for student poverty in San Diego County so that we may guide the conversation, raise awareness, and advocate for lasting change.

We send staff to the prestigious LEAD San Diego year-long program. Staff and Board members regularly participate in national conferences including through The Hope Center and the Community Boost Nonprofit Marketing Seminar. Wesley House staff participate in leadership training through the Fieldstone Leadership Network. Wesley House hosts college interns that provide insight into the latest systems and best practices and, when possible, transition into paid staff positions.

Through the support of our generous donors, Wesley House Student Residence was able to respond adroitly to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 Pandemic. We moved our monthly seminars online and increased our WIFI capacity at no charge to our residents. To help with the increasing problem of food insecurity, we expanded access to our on-site food pantry to all students. This expanded pantry program also included free access to cleaning products, masks, gloves and sanitizer. We accompanied this with a seminar on pandemic safety, both personally and in the educational environment. 80% of our working students lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic and we were able to assist with applications for unemployment and rental assistance, and we helped with placement in new jobs. We were also able to subsidize the housing costs of students. We have initiated and continue to maintain an "emergency fund" which allows us to help our residents with car repair issues and even emergency dental work. Our organization has continued to provide seamless services in the face of one of the most challenging times of the 21st century.