Edmonds College receives donation from Indo-American Friendship Forum Foundation to empower homeless students

Honorable Consul General of India Prakash Gupta (2nd from right) presents Edmonds College President Dr. Amit B. Singh a check from the Indo-American Friendship Forum Foundation (IAFFF). Also pictured are (left) Jagdish Sharma (IAFFF President) and (far right) Indra Jain (IAFFF Past President & Chairman and Senior Architect/Principal Project Manager, Washington State Department of Enterprise Services). (Arutyun Sargsyan / Edmonds College)

Edmonds College received a $12,200 donation from the Indo-American Friendship Forum Foundation (IAFFF) to help students experiencing homelessness and other housing insecurities. 

Leaders of the IAFFF presented the check during a ceremony on campus on Dec. 2 to Edmonds President Dr. Amit B. Singh in the presence of distinguished members of the Indian community, including IAFFF President Jagdish Sharma, and Honorable Consul General of India Prakash Gupta.  

“In a #RealCollege Survey, we learned that 62% of our students have experienced homelessness, food insecurity, or housing insecurity,” said Dr. Singh. “We are grateful to the IAFFF for a generous donation that will assist students facing housing insecurities while navigating their pursuit of higher education.” 

The college will use the donation to enhance the Triton Resource Hub, a vital one-stop center supporting student needs. Established in 2022, the Hub offers a food pantry serving approximately 400 students quarterly, a care navigator coordinating emergency funding for critical needs like homelessness prevention, and a 211 coordinator, in partnership with Verdant Health and Volunteers of America, who connects students to a broad range of resources and services, including rent and utility assistance.

Indra Jain, a project manager for the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, who has worked on several capital projects with Edmonds College, organized the donation efforts after seeing students’ needs first-hand.

“I found out that despite all the funding programs that Edmonds has, there are gaps,” said Jain. “There are critical needs for food and shelter for students on campus. Our goal is to chip in to support these students so they can graduate and become productive members of society.”

IAFFF President Sharma shared the history of the organization’s philanthropic activities, including funds raised for local school lunch programs and nonprofits working to eradicate hunger. The mission of the IAFFF is to unite and strengthen current and future Indian-Americans and American communities by informing and educating Americans about India; fostering friendship and understanding between Americans of Indian origin and other Americans; and organizing, promoting, and participating in cultural and educational programs to serve the Indian-Americans, Americans, and the greater communities.

“Some of us have been here for half a century, and we were very young when we came to this country,” said IAFFF Vice President Alok Muthar. “I worked for Boeing for 45 years. Many of us had children who went to college, and we were lucky that we could afford to give them an education. 

“We would like to do the same for those who are in need. We want to be able to give back to the community.”

Honorable Consul General of India Gupta added: “I thank IAFFF for this generous contribution towards students in need. I think it is a testimony to the strength and nature of the Indian-American community in the region. They have excelled for themselves and taken care of the region, people, and institutions around them.”