480 SRJC students lost homes in fires

For some of the 480 Santa Rosa Junior College students who lost homes in the recent fires, returning to class this week will help them regain a sense of normalcy. But many students will find it challenging to attend classes while trying to resurrect day-to-day basics of their lives.

The SRJC Office of Institutional Research surveyed students last week to gauge the impact of the fires on students, and as of Oct. 19, more than 11,000 students responded. Seventy-nine percent of the students said they were ready to return to school. An estimated 15 percent were unsure if they could return.

Eleven percent said they were impacted a great deal by the fires, 20 percent responded they weren’t impacted at all, and the remainder were impacted to some degree.

In addition to students who lost homes, 61 SRJC faculty and staff lost their homes.

The SRJC Fire Relief Fund has been established to support the urgent needs of current students and employees who’ve lost their homes. Donations can be made online at http://firerelief.santarosa.edu.

SRJC students who have been heavily impacted by the fires should contact studentaffairs@santarosa.edu or call 527-4424 for help.

Faculty and staff who have been heavily impacted by the fires should contact Human Resources at smuskar@santarosa.edu, shopkins@santarosa.edu, 524-1624 or 527-4831.