Cat Fernando, a rising sophomore at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, is on a mission to make sure warm, dry feet are not one of them.

Fernando, a native of Old Bridge, New Jersey, has been giving away socks to the homeless since last September, as part of an effort she’s dubbed Socks in the City.

Thanks to recent efforts of the Fordham community, she won’t run out of supplies any time soon. At an end of year reception held May 11 at the Rose Hill campus by the Fordham University Association, nearly 600 pairs were donated to Socks in the City, along with $93 for additional purchases. More socks collected by the Office of Mission Integration and Planning put the number at nearly 800.

Fernando, who aspires to become a social worker, has been helping the homeless since she was 11. She started out by giving sandwiches, but after talking to the people she encountered, she learned that what they needed most were socks, as well as toiletries.

“When there are clothing drives, people always think of coats and shirts and pants, which are very important. But socks are something that people take for granted,” she said.

Up until May, Socks in the City existed as a single donation bin in Fernando’s residence hall. Fernando herself keeps an assortment of 20 pairs on her at all times in case she encounters a homeless person during her daily routine, and also gives them to residents of the Ned Coughlin, S.J., Men’s Shelter in the West Village, where she volunteers twice a week.

The donation bin eventually led her to the Fordham University Association, which promotes engagement between faculty and staff. One of Fernando’s floor mates attended a résumé-building workshop run by Alby Tello, director of career development at the Graduate School of Social Service (GSS). When the subject of including volunteer work on a résumé came up, Tello said he told her about Fernando’s Socks in the City project.

“I’m always hosting events at GSS and with the Fordham University Association (FUA), and we’ve been trying to get more involved with the community. I don’t really believe in coincidences; I think this was totally meant to be,” Tello said. “It was like love at first sight. [Fernando] is so endearing, and so sweet and so smart, so we started working together.”

Tello said she was particularly impressed that Fernando took the time to learn what the homeless actually need.

“In social work, we call that a needs assessment,” she said. “We have our own ideas as professionals, but talking to community, she found out that they really need socks,” she said.

For Fernando, the FUA’s “Soul to Sole,” reception held on May 11, was a roaring success. Her first fundraiser, a student viewing of the movie Sex in the City, had netted just 60 pairs of socks; the FUA gathering netted 584 pairs of socks.

The socks are in boxes in Old Bridge, but Fernando plans to give them out when she visits New York City in the summer, and on regular basis when classes resume in the fall. She also makes a point to introduce herself when she offers socks, and asks the recipients if they’d be willing to share a fun fact. A journal she keeps currently holds 200 answers, culled from the 600 or so people she’s met.

“I’m giving people what they need but I’m also aiming to re-humanize people who’ve been ignored a lot of the time. Remembering people when I see them again is very important, and having a fact to associate with them helps me remember them better,” she said.

“I once met a man in the park named Charles Jackson, who was about to get housing. He was telling me how he works so hard all the time, and he’s learned so much through experiencing hardship. He said the real learning happens after graduation, because the whole universe is your university.”

(Photos by Bruce Gilbert)

The march around Edwards Parade and party that followed at O’Keefe Commons was sponsored by the Fordham University Association, which puts on events throughout the year for members of the faculty, staff and administration. There was a photo-op for all little goblins, fairy princesses, witches, and more in front of a haunted house backdrop.

All in all, a fitting gathering for a college campus that has long been rumored to be one of the most haunted in the country.

We need your help in protecting federal student aid for Fordham students and their families. On August 2, Congress passed the Budget Control Act of 2011, which reduces our nation’s deficit, while simultaneously raising the debt ceiling and creating a congressional bipartisan “super committee” to find further cuts this fall. While Fordham expressed disappointment that subsidies for graduate students were cut, we were grateful that the cuts stopped there and that the Pell Grant program received additional funding. Unfortunately, we are not out of the woods yet.

While the current Pell Grant shortfall received a healthy boost from the debt reduction package, it still faces a $1.3 billion shortfall for award year 2012–2013. In addition, all other student aid programs, including the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (SEOG) program, could face cuts in the coming months. Both Pell and SEOG are very important to Fordham students.  During the 2010–2011 academic year, 1,799 Fordham students received more than $7.9 million in Pell Grants, and 1,248 students received more than $2.1 million in SEOG funding.

There is great uncertainty about how the next few months will unfold. While specific spending proposals that would affect student aid programs are not expected for several weeks, federal student aid has already lost more than $30 billion through the deficit reduction plans of prior reconciliation bills and the Budget Control Act. We cannot afford to wait. It is time to let Congress know that it cannot balance the budget while gambling with the futures of our nation’s students.

Here’s how you can help:

1.  Join the Student Aid Alliance, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), 61 higher education associations, and thousands of supporters across the nation and sign a petition in support of Federal Student Aid. The petition, which will be sent to Capitol Hill, can be found at: action.studentaidalliance.org

2.  Join the Save Student Aid campaign on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/savestudentaid and urge your friends and families to do likewise. Stories shared through the Facebook campaign lead to media stories that have a very positive impact on the student aid debate.

The current spending environment is bleak. With your help, however, we can educate lawmakers and their staff on the value of the aid programs and their vital role in preserving our students’ future.

For more information about Fordham’s advocacy efforts, please contact the Office of Government Relations and Urban Affairs at (718) 817-0180 or [email protected].

Fordham staff and faculty came together for the annual Winter Wonderland luncheon organized by the Fordham University Association (FUA) on Jan. 14 at the Rose Hill campus. Nearly 100 staff members shared holiday stories and lunch while preparing for the return of the student population.

Patrick Ryan, S.J., the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society, opened the afternoon with a prayer of thanksgiving.

Francoisline Joy Freeman, the chair of the Winter Wonderland Luncheon and senior assistant director of Student Financial Services, and Grant Grastorf, the academic operational administrator at Fordham Westchester, handed out prizes at the post-luncheon raffle, which included tickets to the New York Philharmonic and Fordham sporting events, a lovely afghan and a basket of wine. One lucky employee won $250 in the 50/50 raffle.

Sodexho, the university’s food service provider, helped to offset the cost of the meal and ice cream dessert. John Burns, Sodexho’s catering manager, was presented with a certificate of thanks.

Also honored was Aida Napolitano, a longtime senior secretary for the Chemistry Department who retired this past December. Napolitano was actively involved with the Fordham University Association for many years before she retired.

Sister Regina DeVitto, C.N.D., coordinator of faith formation and sacraments at Campus Ministry, provided the musical entertainment. She played the guitar and sang classics such as “Do Re Mi.”

The Fordham University Association is comprised of members of the faculty, administrative, clerical and maintenance staff of the University. The Office of the President sponsors the group. FUA’s goal is to sponsor events and activities that bring the Fordham community together for fun and fellowship.

The event is organized each year by the Fordham University Association (FUA), comprised of members of the faculty, administrative, clerical and maintenance staff of the University, a group sponsored by the Office of the President. FUA’s goal is to sponsor events and activities that bring the Fordham community together for fun and fellowship.

Registration for the holiday party is required.  Contact Maura Gallagher at[email protected] or (718) 817-2730.