University United Methodist Church to Host Concert to Support MSU Migrant Student Program

With future funding from the U.S. Department of Education uncertain, University United Methodist Church is hosting a concert this weekend to benefit farmworker students at Michigan State University.

The “Cool Jazz, Warm Hearts” concert came to fruition after Pastor Melanie Carey led a class on refugees in fall 2025.

“We were referencing stories in the Bible about refugees,” said church member and concert organizer Susan Holloway, “but also talking about our current situation with migrants, refugees and immigration. While we were in the study, someone had read an article about funding cuts to the CAMP program.”

MSU’s College Assistance Migrant Program, or CAMP, was founded in 2000 by Luis Alonzo Garcia to help students from migrant and seasonal farmworker backgrounds transition to life as college students. Students receive academic advising, mentoring, leadership development and financial support through the program.

Future funding for the program is in question, as the U.S. Department of Education did not provide a funding renewal option for CAMP and programs like it during the 2025-26 academic year, CAMP founder Luis Alonzo Garcia told East Lansing Info in a phone interview.

The department had been providing more than $400,000 for student tuition assistance annually.

Garcia said that over the last 26 years, the program has supported more than 1,500 students, almost 90% of whom have been first-generation college students and children of migrant farmworkers.

“These are the people whose families help harvest the food that we eat, the fresh fruits and vegetables that we eat every day,” he said.

“With being first-generation, there’s generally no one in the family who knows how to help you navigate the university setting, and that’s where we become critical to the process. We help them—what’s the application process, what’s the financial aid process, what’s the residence halls process—all of that. Any student, for the most part, takes it for granted, but for people who are first-generation, that’s not the case.”

The church hopes to raise $50,000, helping to fill the gap left by the Department of Education’s cuts.

“From the church’s perspective,” Holloway said, “we talked about what we’re especially good at. Some of our strengths are music and hospitality, so we offered to host.”

Sam Corey, a saxophone player and musician who leads the church’s REACH Jazz Band, is coordinating the music with local performers, including well-known jazz vocalist Tiffany Gridiron. Holloway said that desserts, hot chocolate and coffee will be served.

CAMP students will tell their stories to communicate the importance of the program.

Holloway said the missions behind the concert are found in the Bible.

“It tells us to welcome, to accept, to make people feel at home, to care for them,” she said. “And this program has a strong track record, and its [importance] to graduation is extremely high. It’s clearly been successful.”

Carey has reached out to other United Methodist churches throughout Michigan to increase awareness and seek “larger commitments” of support, Holloway said.

“We’ve also been reaching out to United Methodist churches throughout Michigan. Pastor Melanie has strong relationships, and there was an article in the Michigan United Methodist Church communications. People expressed interest, and we’ve made phone calls to ask for larger commitments.”

“This event really illustrates the spirit of a community when they understand what we do at Michigan State University,” Garcia said. “It’s a program and a community that’s highly valued. Oftentimes, even folks from the United Methodist Church were saying, ‘We didn’t know. We didn’t know that this was going on.’ So oftentimes, it’s just getting people to learn about what types of initiatives are at the university that help first-generation students.”

“Cool Jazz, Warm Hearts” starts at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at University United Methodist Church, 1120 S. Harrison Road. Admission is free, but donations to support the MSU College Assistance Migrant Program are appreciated.