Community colleges in Southern California are increasing the amount of attention they put on basic needs for students. Many colleges report that students sleep in their cars or struggle to find their next meal while balancing their studies.
Tucked away in the Student Center of Long Beach City College, on the Liberal Arts Campus, is an unassuming glass door labeled “Viking Vault” where staffers are working to make students lives a lot easier.
Upon entering, a student would first see shelves of canned foods and fresh produce, or turn to the right to find rows of diapers and toys.
But the vault holds more than food and household items. It is also the center point for housing support and transportation services for nearly 1,000 students per week.
No “Typical” Community College Student
Justin Mendez is the interim director for basic needs at LBCC, and he says addressing issues like housing and food insecurity means first educating the public that there is no typical mold of a student. They all have different struggles.
“Even having a basic needs program at a community college campus—it acknowledges that what we think of as a ‘traditional college student’ is not the reality of our college students,” Mendez said. “At the community colleges, we’re acknowledging that we’re having an increased population of parenting students that are on their own.”
Discreet Access To Food, Transportation, And Shelter
Mendez says part of his job is protecting anonymity so students feel comfortable using these services.
“We’re mindful to de-stigmatize the use of our service. And that really includes reducing the barriers and reducing…
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