Parents support critical services

Many families are receiving calls from students this spring seeking support for the Parent Annual Fund, a critical source of financial support for the Career Services Center and other important student services that aren’t covered by tuition.

The Western Washington University Foundation hopes to raise $130,000 for the fund this year, said Angela Vandenhaak, the foundation’s director of development for parents.

Families who are able to make a big donation can make it go even farther this year: A parent has offered to match donations of at least $1,000 to the Parents Annual Fund. That means a $1,000 contribution becomes $2,000.

The Parents Annual Fund helps pay for many services at the Career Center that aren’t covered by tuition, such as resume assistance, career fairs, workshops and outreach to employers of WWU graduates.

The center helps students find internships to help boost their practical experience and provides assessment tools to help students figure out where their career interests lie.

The fund also supports the Leadership Advantage program, which provides students a wide variety of ways to develop their leadership skills.

Gifts must be made by June 30 to qualify for the $10,000 available in matching funds.

All gifts, no matter what the size, mean a lot this year, Vandenhaak said. Fundraising for the Parents Annual Fund is about 70 percent what it normally is, she said, at a time when the need is ever-greater.