Impact - Donor support keeps dreams alive

ECC student Victoria Huynh of Elgin thought she would have to put her dream of becoming a marketing director in the beauty industry on indefinite hold as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the ECC Foundation Student Success Fund (SSF) and donors such as the Hoffer Foundation, Huynh is excited to be transferring to the University of Illinois-Chicago this fall to complete her bachelor’s degree in marketing and get started on her career. 

Huynh’s family owns a small business that was forced to close for several months in 2020, taking away the family’s livelihood. “It was a very scary time,” said Huynh. “My entire family lost their jobs, and I couldn’t see how I would be able to stay in school.”

The Hoffer Foundation donated $10,000 to the SSF, which helped Huynh remain in school and stay on track for the summer and fall semesters. “We’re a family-owned business, in operation since 1953,” said Charlotte Hoffer Canning, chief culture officer at Hoffer Plastics in South Elgin.

“Situations like that of Victoria and her family are devastating to our community. Our core values of family, integrity, service, and trust come from company founder Robert Hoffer’s vision of creating a company that puts the needs of customers, employees, and the community first. That’s why the Hoffer Foundation is proud to support the mission of ECC and students like Victoria.”

The Hoffer family has been involved with ECC for decades, with family members volunteering in various capacities with ECC and the ECC Foundation, including several leadership positions.

In less than a year, the Student Success Fund raised more than $220,000 and distributed nearly $150,000. It provides the most flexible funding available to students, ensuring no student is left behind due to the economic fallout from the pandemic. To learn more, visit the ECC Foundation.