Long Beach City College provides numerous ways to help students meet their needs such as the basic needs program. This resource provides access to housing and food assistance to help students stay focused on their studies.
“The basic needs program was created to eliminate all food, housing, and insecurities for all LBCC students,” said Basic Needs Program Manager Justin Mendez.
With the help of CalFresh, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP), the LBCC Basic Needs program has been able to accomplish the Grab-n-Go.
The Grab-n-Go is an event designed for students to pick up free, pre-packaged non-perishable groceries. These events occur bi-weekly at both the Liberal Arts Campus and the Pacific Coast Campus and you don’t have to leave the safety and comfort of your vehicle.
As you wait in line, volunteers will fill your car with groceries. If you have dietary needs, they can also provide options. For example, you can request vegetarian options.
CalFresh Marketing and Communications Manager Victoria Lasaveth said, “When all of our lives were upended, over a year ago at this point, the food banks and operations had to quickly pivot, because we saw an immediate increase in demand. Before the pandemic, we were serving 300,000 individuals per month with the help of hundreds of our hundreds of partner agencies throughout LA County. We are now serving 900,000 individuals in a month.”
As we slowly start to get back to pre-pandemic times, there has been a decrease in numbers at the Grab-n-Go events on LBCC campuses. Although the numbers of students that need assistance stay consistent
“We are trying to figure out what is going on,” said Mendez.
“The numbers in our past two events have dropped below the average, but I think that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a need. I think that there are still a lot of students and families that do have a high need for resources.”
There is a sense of stigma surrounding food insecurity. The goal of the basic needs program on-campus is to make everything as accessible as possible.
“All are welcome. Anyone that is experiencing food insecurity is encouraged to come. There is no stigma or judgement,” said Lasaveth.
Recently, the Long Beach Rotary Club donated about 700 bags of food for the school’s pantry, along with hygiene bags. The hygiene bags contain shampoo, body wash, deodorant, and a small laundry detergent.
In order to get assistance, donate, or volunteer you can contact the basic needs program at LBCC at basicneeds@lbcc.edu.
There are monthly webinars held to help students join, learn their eligibility, and learn how to apply. If you are unable to join, there are specialists that can help you submit an application on the phone.
To apply for CalFresh, based on the Basic Needs page on LBCC instructure, students can contact Maira Sandoval by sending an email to msandoval@lafoodbank.org or Karen Perez at kperez@lafoodbank.org.