Cantu Emergency Fund

Over the years, the Lionel Cantú Queer Resource Center has been able to expand the basic needs resources we offer to the campus community, such as our food pantry, clothing closet, sexual and menstrual health library, book library, and more. All of this is made possible because of the support and solidarity we receive from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the wider community. It truly takes a village, and the support we have received and continue to receive reminds our students and us at the center that we are not alone. A huge glittery thank you from all of us at the Cantú to all who have supported us over the years!  

As a community, we have made a lot of progress on campus, from LGBTQ and trans housing options, to an increase in queer-centered academic courses, to the UC-wide implementation of the Gender Recognition and Lived Name Policy. Despite political and social victories, queer and trans people continue to experience prejudice and rejection—students continue to express high levels of anxiety around coming out and being out due to fear of being cut off from their families and communities of support. Tragically, this fear is a lived reality for many within our community, causing these students to experience high levels of stress from loss of family support and financial stability. In an area where accessing basic needs is already challenging, additional stressors tax and drain the well-being of queer and trans students who are disproportionately more vulnerable to financial struggles and the need to cover basic expenses such as housing, food, transportation, etc. 

Last year we were able to support students experiencing a variety of situations including students struggling to pay rent due to lack of support from their families after coming out, individuals who needed funding for their journeys with gender affirming healthcare services, and being able to assist those who needed with their financial aid gaps.   Our pot of money is not huge but the support we have been able to offer students has impacted not just their financial situations but their overall wellbeing by reducing stress and connecting them to a wider of community of support.   

Every cent and dollar is appreciated.  Whatever you can donate will truly make a difference and help our students not just survive but ultimately thrive.   Please join us in continuing this urgently needed resource and reminding our students that they are not alone--family and community abounds in so many different ways here at UCSC and beyond!