An Untapped Gold Mine: The Community Life Fund

Reported by Audrey Grice

Illustrated by Mia Baukol

Have you ever hosted a gathering with friends and had to pitch in to cover the cost? Or did you skip an event because you were worried about expenses? The Community Life Fund (CLF), designated by George Fox University (GFU), helps undergraduate students build community without the financial burden of hosting events. Students can be reimbursed for up to $250 per event by university funds through the CLF.

"It's a resource we provide as student government, and it's money that the university gives towards students," said Janessa Antemann, the Associated Student Community (ASC) vice president of finance. "The purpose is so that students can have community and . . . fellowship and then also not have to worry about the finances that come with those things."

Elsie Bailey, a GFU student, has benefited from the CLF, which covers biweekly meals for her Dungeons & Dragons group. While the group would have met without the fund, Bailey said sharing meals fostered greater fellowship.

"There's a type of community that can be built when you sit down to share a meal with people, and as much as it would have been fun to play D&D without [meals provided by the CLF], there was so much more community," Bailey said. "The school providing [the CLF] created such good connections . . .  to people I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to connect with as well."

Like many college students, Bailey and her group could not afford to supply food for their meetings. "It's just not easy for college students to do on their own," she said.

While there are restrictions for the CLF, such as requiring gatherings of more than three people and limiting spending to $15 per participant, the fund aims to be as accessible as possible. However, despite being available to all undergraduate students regardless of financial need, the CLF remains underutilized. In the fall 2024 semester, approximately 1,500 students benefited from 172 CLF-aided events.

"Not nearly enough people are using it like they should be," Antemann said.

"It doesn’t shock me that people don’t know about it, but it’s very sad that people don’t recognize that we have this incredible resource that Fox gives us to cultivate community," Bailey said. "It seems to go back to the promise of being known at George Fox. The school genuinely cares about community."

To access the CLF, students can fill out the Google Form or email Janessa Antemann at ascvpfinance@georgefox.edu with any questions.

"It’s important for students to look into the resources the school provides. George Fox has a ton of incredible resources, including the Community Life Fund," Bailey said. "If I’m ever planning an event, the first thing I would do is reach out to the Community Life Fund."