Guest column: Basic Needs Centers are anything but basic for students in need
It’s hard to perform well in school when you are hungry or homeless. To help combat these grave difficulties, a policy (AB 132) went into effect last year requiring California colleges to establish Basic Needs Centers, which provide students with essential services and support.
These centers are needed even more now with the end of COVID-19 pandemic food benefits and the high price of groceries, which increased over 11% in the past year.
Several years before this policy was implemented, Ventura College opened a Basic Needs Center to help meet the clear needs of our student population. Since opening in 2019, the center has made significant strides in providing services to our students, including expanding the food pantry offerings and hours so students can drop in weekdays for free snacks, groceries and even toothbrushes.
Our center also provides a wide range of services, including emergency housing referrals, transportation assistance, healthcare services, financial assistance and other critical resources to help students stay focused on their studies. Moorpark College and Oxnard College also have Basic Needs Centers on their campuses for students.
Our colleges know it’s not just about meeting the immediate needs of students, but also about reducing the disparities students face in higher education. Many low-income and first-generation college students face significant barriers to staying in school — and a lack of food should not be one of them.
In a recent survey conducted by the Hope Center for College, more than 50% of California community college students experience food insecurity and almost 20% experience homelessness.
Natalia B., a third-year Ventura College student, knows first-hand how crucial basic needs services are. She received help applying for CalFresh, which provides her family with weekly grocery assistance. This support has been especially beneficial while her mother wasn’t working and they lacked money for food.
“It takes a lot of weight off your shoulders knowing that the pantry is here,” says Natalia. “It takes the stress off not having to worry about my next meal, and it’s had such a positive impact on me where I can focus on my studies without worrying.”
Natalia is now a student assistant in the Financial Aid department and provides students with referrals to the Basic Needs Center because she knows just how much it helps.
Every month at Ventura College and Ventura College East Campus (VCEC) in Santa Paula, we host four drive-thru pantries, which provide students free groceries, essential supplies, college logo T-shirts or swag, information about campus resources and hot meals.
Drive-thru events have been a mainstay on our Ventura campus and East Campus locations. They’re festive, designed to build community and reduce the stigma and shame of being in need.
Through these popular drive-thru pantries, our Basic Needs Center supervisor Alma Rodriguez hopes to encourage students to take advantage of all the crucial services and resources available at the college.
The Basic Needs Center is staffed by Maria Crisosto, Alina Leos and Ann Nelson. The team coordinates various events to meet the growing demand for services. Now the team is looking forward to expanding the food pantry at VCEC to meet the needs of local students. The grand opening is scheduled for April.
Ventura College is doing its part to promote equality in our community and in higher education. We ask that students help us advocate for basic needs centers by sharing their challenges and experiences with counselors, support staff, administrators and legislators.
It is essential that California continues to prioritize equality in education by ensuring all students have access to basic human needs. Let’s work together to create a just and equitable higher education system that serves all Californians by reducing the food insecurity and homelessness faced by so many of our community college students.
Community colleges provide affordable and accessible education and job training for millions of Californians. With basic needs centers, our colleges provide even more pathways to student success.
Kimberly Hoffmans, R.N., Ed.D., is president of Ventura College. To learn more about the college’s Basic Needs Center, visit https://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student-services/basic-needs.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Basic Needs Centers are anything but basic for students in need
