Photo courtesy of Kevin Soto.
Today, California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) held a ceremony to announced the new facility for the Basic Needs Hub, located north of the Student Union, it will centralize essential services, expand the food pantry and other resources, by next spring.
The new Basic Needs Hub will address student food insecurity and housing crises.
According to CSUB campus news, Dr. Jason Watkins, Director of Basic Needs, described the new hub as a “one-stop shop” for students seeking assistance. The facility will house a Food Pantry four times larger than its current size, offer CalFresh support, emergency housing assistance, and connect students with other campus and community resources.
“This has been a long time coming,” Watkins said. “This location will help students succeed academically by addressing fundamental needs that impact their ability to focus and perform.”
Watkins also explained that addressing food insecurity on campus has grown increasingly urgent, calling it both a challenge and an opportunity to support student success.
CSUB President Vernon B. Harper Jr. said that the Basic Needs Hub reflects a shift in the university’s mission to address factors beyond academics that impact student success. “Our students deserve this facility,” Harper said.
