As contingent faculty and librarians, many of us have labored under the threat of budget cuts for years. Our sense of economic insecurity has been made worse by the soaring costs of housing, and spikes in healthcare costs and basic goods that have increased the cost of living in our campus communities. Given this crisis of unaffordability, many of us are just one incident—a car accident, injury, illness, or natural disaster—away from having to leave the UC for good.
Facing a similar moment of crisis in 2020, a group of rank-and-file members formed a Committee on Housing, Homelessness, Renters’ Rights, and Refugees (HHRRR) so that members could work together to support one another and provide for colleagues in need. They spearheaded a member-to-member mutual aid program to create the UC-AFT Hardship Fund to provide grants to members who need help covering the costs of utility payments, mortgage and rent payments, prescription and medical expenses, legal expenses, lost employment income, or damages incurred due to natural disasters (wildfires, earthquakes, floods, etc.).
Members in Need: Apply today
All dues-paying UC-AFT members (including teaching faculty, librarians, and K-12 instructors) are eligible to apply for grants of $250-500. A short application is required; Hardship Fund applicants are asked to briefly describe the immediate financial need that a grant would support. To apply for a grant from the UC-AFT Member Hardship Fund, please complete this short application: Member Hardship Fund Grant Application
Members in a position to contribute: Donate now
As we enter what promises to be a new era of austerity and precarity, when the possibilities that our livelihoods could be further threatened seem very real, the HHRRR Committee is once again asking members to pitch in. From now through Inauguration Day, our UC-AFT Executive Board will be providing up to $10,000 worth of matching funds to amplify your donation.
Just a small donation to the Hardship Fund can be a radical act of community care. Donate today @ bit.ly/ucaftdonate
Our solidarity is made possible when we take care of one another’s material needs. If you’re interested in helping with the HHRRR committee’s work or learning more about the Hardship Fund, contact committee chair Catherine Winiarski at catherine.winiarski@gmail.com
