Committee
Basic Needs Committee Members
Founded in the Spring of 2016, the Basic Needs Committee, formerly known as the Food Insecurity and Hunger Committee, is comprised of students, faculty and staff who are committed to removing barriers that impede student success.
| Member | Position |
|---|---|
| Ashley Ramsden | Co-Chair, Basic Needs Coordinator |
| Angeles Fuentes | Director Financial Aid |
| Ashlie McCallon | Financial Aid Lead Counselor |
| Clementina Macias | Director for College Support Programs |
| Gary Rodriguez | Health Promotion and Prevention Manager |
| Jacinto Salazar | Transfer Center Student Success Coordinator |
| Jewelia Fletcher | Co-Chair, Basic Needs Senator |
| Joanna Snawder-Manzo | Care Manager |
| Lacey Raak | Director of Sustainability |
| Rachelle Bass | Assistant Director of Student Services |
| Sabrina Lee | Interim Basic Needs Coordinator |
| Sam Robinson | Associate Professor, School of Humanities and Communications, Dept. Chair |
| William Shelby | Lecturer, Health, Human Services and Public Policy |
Food Insecurity Action Plan
The Food Insecurity action plan was developed through a multi-year process via the Basic Needs Committee on campus. First, a survey was completed, which examined all barriers that cause food insecurity on our campus. The data was divided into three categories:
- Institutional
- Systemic
- Personal
The committee then formed a root cause statement based on the inputs:
The root causes of food insecurity on our campus are due to the barriers imposed by the cost of education, transportation, and lack of knowledge.
The committee then developed a list of solutions, which seeks to capture the smallest impact items all the way to the highest impact. From there the committee narrowed the list down to key recommendations based on the root causes statement.
- Recommendation 1 was Transportation: Address transportation barriers by bringing a Farmers Market to campus, maintaining the free bus system and promoting the Otter Snacks map.
- Recommendation 2 was Resource Awareness: Improving resource awareness by creating a Basic Needs website, working faculty to incorporate information on their syllabi and developing a process for students to access extra food from events.
- Recommendation 3 was the AS Food Pantry: Identifying and securing a permanent location for the food pantry, accept in-kind and monetary and create a long term staffing model.
Moving forward, the committee will be concerned with achieving the steps required to implement these recommendations.
Otter Snacks Map
Based on the definition of "no super-market within a mile", CSUMB is technically considered a "food desert". The goal of the Otter Snacks Map is to highlight locations on and near the CSUMB campus where students and other community members can access fresh fruits and vegetables. It was created to increase awareness and encourage healthy food choices by providing a quick reference of local resources. This map is not meant to endorse specific vendors. Each location has links and/or telephone numbers for more information.
Bus Excursion
The Basic Needs Committee organized a trip to the Friday Farmers Market at MPC (Monterey Peninsula College). Students, faculty and staff were invited to ride MST (Monterey Salinas Transit) together using their CSUMB identification card. All student attendees received a reusable shopping bag, one entrance into the Dining Commons, and a fun food quiz for the ride! The committee designed this outing with the following goals in mind:
- To initiate interest in an on-campus Farmers Market and Farmers Markets in general
- To offer students access to fresh produce
- To encourage usage of public transportation
- To offer students an opportunity to use their CalFresh benefits
- To connect with other members of the campus who have a shared interest in fresh food access
CSU Basic Needs Initiative Conference
In February of 2018 CSU Sacramento hosted the second CSU Basic Needs Conference. The conference brought together faculty, staff and students who shared their ideas, research, experiences and promising practices. Members of the CSUMB Basic Needs Committee attended and presented the process utilized for developing the CSUMB Food Insecurity Action Plan.