The entire SparkPoint team would like to congratulate Raul Amaya on being selected as our new SparkPoint Coordinator. Raul has served as the SparkPoint Staff Assistant for over 6 years, but in his new role he will be providing support to our students and local community around financial capability, food resources and housing resources.  He will partner with our other SparkPoint Coordinator, Flor Lopez, to increase our capacity for SparkPoint programs such as rapid response hotel stays, rental assistance, student food grant, grocery distributions and financial coaching.  Raul brings an incredible passion for working directly with students and an impressive knowledge of basic needs resources.  He has already played a key role in launching many of these SparkPoint programs and he looks forward to the opportunity to expand his impact and take on new challenges.

Raul’s new role will become official on March 23^rd, pending board approval, but we wanted to make the announcement now in honor of Skyline College’s annual March 4th celebration. 

Article by Chad Thompson

Career Technical Education (CTE) students at Skyline College are encouraged to apply for the Grove Scholars Program! Approximately 25 students (new and renewal) will be selected to become part of the Grove Scholars Program and receive an award of up to $2,000. Scholars will participate in the following services: financial education and coaching, career counseling, and additional services as needed for academic success.

To submit the online application, students can visit the Grove Scholars Page on the SparkPoint website. Applications are due at 3:00pm on September 14th. If you would like to refer a student to the Grove Scholars Program or if you would like a SparkPoint staff member to share scholarship information or other SparkPoint Services with your class or program, please call (650) 738‐4239 or email grovescholar@smccd.edu.  Additional information and support can also be found through the SparkPoint website.

COVID-19 forced the SparkPoint Food Pantry to close in March 2020 and it remained closed for 2 full years. We re-launched this service this past spring and we are excited to share that from between March 22 and June 30, 2022, we distributed 33,487 pounds of groceries. Unlike our Drive-Thru Grocery Distribution, the SparkPoint Food Pantry only serves students. This means that our students saved an estimated $49,369.30 on grocery costs during this time, which is money that can go to other important expenses such as books, gas, rent or saving for the future.  This represents a great start for this new iteration of the SparkPoint food pantry and we plan to try to get back to a pre-pandemic level of service by the end of the fall semester.

The SparkPoint food pantry is currently open Monday-Friday and offers free groceries to all students!   If you know a student who may be interested in picking up free groceries, please have them make an appointment by filling out online order form.

Some things to remember:

• No ID required. A car is not required.
• Groceries will be pre-bagged (no substitutions at pick up)
• Items vary, but typically can include fruit, vegetables, canned goods, dry goods, milk, meat, and snacks
• This will not affect your food grant or financial aid in any way
• SparkPoint is located in building 1, room 1-214

Please visit our website to learn more about SparkPoint’s other food, housing and financial services: https://skylinecollege.edu/sparkpoint/

Thank you to the whole SparkPoint and Dream Center Team for their support in this effort.

Article by Chad Thompson

We are very pleased to announce that the SparkPoint Food Pantry officially re-opened on Tuesday, March 22, 2022!

Until further notice, our food pantry will serve only students and will operate by appointment only. Due to capacity limits, we are not able to serve community members or drop-ins at this time.  The Wednesday Drive-thru Grocery Distribution will continue to operate through May and will be open to the public, but this new modality is an effort to prioritize student needs and create more flexibility for grocery pick-up on our campus. We will have appointments available Monday-Friday and students will be able to book your appointment up to 2 weeks in advance.

• We will be open during Spring Recess and over the summer
• Space is limited (please do your best to make it to your appointment)
• No ID required. A car is not required.
• Groceries will be pre-bagged (no substitutions at pick up)
• Items vary, but typically can include:
  • fresh fruit, vegetables, canned goods, beans, rice, pasta, milk, eggs, meat, snacks and much more!
  • Meat and dairy alternatives are sometimes available
• This will not affect the student food grant or financial aid
• An online order form and appointment are required (no drop-ins)

We invite students to provide feedback within the order form or to contact the SparkPoint Front Office at 650-738-7035 or skylinesparkpoint@smccd.edu with any questions or suggestions.

SparkPoint at Skyline College is currently accepting scholarship applications for 25 Career and Technical Education (CTE) students for the Spring 2021 cohort. Grove Scholarship applications are available online at skylinecollege.edu/sparkpoint and are due by 3:00 p.m. on September 14th, 2021.

Eligible students will be selected for the program based on three short personal statements that describe who they are, why they have chosen their career path and why financial literacy is important to them. Academic standing and GPA are not a factor in selection, as long as the student meets the minimum requirements of a 2.0 GPA and a 75% completion rate. Once selected for the Grove Scholars Program, students will receive individualized financial coaching and career counseling, as well as a $2,000 scholarship for the semester.

If you would like to refer a student to the Grove Scholars Program or if you would like a SparkPoint staff member to share scholarship information or other SparkPoint Services with your class or program, please call (650) 738-7035, or send an email to grovescholar@smccd.edu.  Additional information and support can also be found through the SparkPoint website.

Article by Chad Thompson

SparkPoint at Skyline College is currently accepting scholarship applications for 25 Career and Technical Education (CTE) students for the Spring 2021 cohort. Grove Scholarship applications are available online at skylinecollege.edu/sparkpoint and are due by 3:00 p.m. on February 17^th, 2021.

Eligible students will be selected for the program based on three short personal statements that describe who they are, why they have chosen their career path and why financial literacy is important to them. Academic standing and GPA are not a factor in selection, as long as the student meets the minimum requirements of a 2.0 GPA and a 75% completion rate. Once selected for the Grove Scholars Program, students will receive individualized financial coaching and career counseling, as well as a $2,000 scholarship for the semester.

If you would like to refer a student to the Grove Scholars Program or if you would like a SparkPoint staff member to share scholarship information or other SparkPoint Services with your class or program, please call (650) 738-7035, or send an email to grovescholar@smccd.edu.  Additional information and support can also be found through the SparkPoint website.

Article by Chad Thompson

SparkPoint and Skyline College partnered with United Way Bay Area to do outreach for the 2020 Census and we have received the official BAY AREA COUNTS 2020 report.  People and communities throughout the Bay Area will have better access to services, more resources and better political representation because of these efforts.

THE INVESTMENT: Over $27.5M in investments and millions of dollars of in-kind resources were allocated to hundreds of organizations across the Bay Area.

THE REGIONAL RESULT: The Bay Area Counts 2020 network has made millions of outreach impressions in 68 languages and these impressions made a significant impact. Despite all of the challenges that we have faced this year, the Bay Area’s self-response rate (SRR) and rate of increase compared to 2010 Census consistently ranked higher than both the state and national averages. The Bay Area region’s SRR is over 75% (3.5% higher than the 2010 Census)! And of the top 10 highest responding counties in the State, 6 of them are in the Bay Area.

THE LOCAL RESULT: Although the Bay Area has done well as a whole, San Mateo County is ranked 1^st in the state with a Self Response Rate of 78.6% (5.4% higher than 2010).  Without a doubt, these local results are a product of the many meaningful and personal interactions that SparkPoint, Skyline College and other local partners have had with community members on a regular basis. More individuals from “hard-to-count”(underrepresented) populations were reached thanks to our email blasts, check-in calls, flyer distribution and the incorporation of census outreach into the Dream Center, Library, financial coaching and food distribution programs.

A special thanks to Bradley Cleveland from the San Mateo Labor Council and Kevin You from the Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center, as well as our very own Rika Yonemura-Fabian, Pamela Ortiz, Lori Lisowski, Jessica Silver-Sharp and Chad Thompson for leading and supporting these efforts.

Written by Chad Thompson

Photo by Jessica Sliver-Sharp

SparkPoint at Skyline College is currently accepting scholarship applications for 25 Career and Technical Education (CTE) students for the fall 2020 cohort. Grove Scholarship applications are available online at skylinecollege.edu/sparkpoint and are due by 3:00 p.m. on September 9.

Eligible students will be selected for the program based on three short personal statements that describe who they are, why they have chosen their career path and why financial literacy is important to them. Academic standing and GPA are not a factor in selection, as long as the student meets the minimum requirements of a 2.0 GPA and a 75% completion rate. Once selected for the Grove Scholars Program, students will receive individualized financial coaching and career counseling, as well as a $2,000 scholarship for the semester.

If you would like to refer a student to the Grove Scholars Program or if you would like a SparkPoint staff member to share scholarship information or other SparkPoint Services with your class or program, please call (650) 738-7035, or send an email to grovescholar@smccd.edu.  Additional information and support can also be found through the SparkPoint website.

Article by Chad Thompson

SparkPoint at Skyline College would like to recognize our second annual SparkPoint Spotlight Award Recipient. Each year SparkPoint recognizes one student that has demonstrated their commitment and dedication to their financial goals and involvement with SparkPoint services.

As a full-time student and single parent, Eric Torres qualified for the CalWorks program on campus which connected him to additional programs including: EOPs, SparkPoint, and child care services. Eric acclimated quickly to the campus and started a Student Assistant position at the Financial Aid office. Working in a department where he was exposed to different avenues to generate income, led him to apply to the Grove Scholarship. This was the commencement of Eric’s engagement with SparkPoint, but like the other areas campus, Eric immersed himself in the support that was being offered. He has accessed the following services: Grove Scholarship, financial coaching, SparkPoint Cash, career coaching, our on-campus food pantry, the Free Community Market, and public benefits access.

In one year, Eric eliminated his entire $15,000 debt, increased his credit score to a 748 and currently has 3.54 GPA. Eric is elated by his current situation and attributes his success to the resources and benefits that SparkPoint and Skyline College have provided for him.

Please visit the SparkPoint Center at Building 1, Room 1-214, to see the display for Eric Torres, additional information about his story and success, and for our available services.

Article and Photo by Flor López

SparkPoint at Skyline College is currently accepting scholarship applications for 25 Career and Technical Education (CTE) students for the Fall 2019 cohort. Grove Scholarship applications are available online at skylinecollege.edu/sparkpoint and are due by 3:00 p.m. on September 12th.

Eligible students will be selected for the program based on three short personal statements that describe who they are, why they have chosen their career path and why financial literacy is important to them. Academic standing and GPA are not a factor in selection, as long as the student meets the minimum requirements of a 2.0 GPA and a 75% completion rate. Once selected for the Grove Scholars Program, students will receive individualized financial coaching and career counseling, as well as a $2,000 scholarship for the semester.

If you would like to refer a student to the Grove Scholars Program or if you would like a SparkPoint staff member to share scholarship information or other SparkPoint Services with your class or program, please call (650) 738-7035, or email our SparkPoint Coordinator, Flor Lopez, at lopezf@smccd.edu.

SparkPoint is located in Bldg. 1, Room 1-214.

Article and Photo by Chad Thompson