College application forums raise funds for meal support

A group of EHS students are using their expertise on the college application process to raise awareness and funds for the Edina Meal Fund COVID-19 Response. The students are all members of the Youth Committee of the Edina Chinese Association (ECA) and they have already raised $2,500 to help provide meals to students who are experiencing food insecurity during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Youth Committee has created an online, four-part series that features a panel of EHS seniors who have been accepted into highly selective post-secondary institutions. The students offer participants advice on choosing a college, utilizing counselors, and an application walk-through. The final episode of the series will be a panel of EHS alumni reflecting on their college experience.

The series began April 4 and continues every Saturday through April 27, from 11 a.m. to noon, and includes a request for a donation to their Meal Fund fundraiser in exchange for first-hand information from students who know the ropes. “We feel it is our responsibility as students to help our friends, classmates and community members in need,” the Youth Committee wrote in a release. “Working on this fundraiser for the Edina Meal Fund has been a thoroughly meaningful experience and we hope that our efforts can positively affect as many lives as possible.”

The ECA has been actively supporting the Edina community in other ways, too. The organization sourced and donated nearly $6,000 of medical standard respiratory masks for staff at Fairview Southdale Hospital. And this week, the group supplied the district’s childcare workers with 40 cloth face masks that a member sewed for them.

Register for the ECA College Process Forums to receive a link to the forum prior to the 11 a.m. start time.