Helping students in need

Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week events address food, housing insecurity

By California State University, Bakersfield

November 10^th, 2021

California State University, Bakersfield is putting a spotlight on the issues of food and housing insecurity this month.

CSUB is holding several events in conjunction with National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, which runs from Nov. 13-21. The primary goals of the program is to raise awareness of students in need and reduce the stigma of food and housing assistance.

“Going to the Food Pantry or the Edible Garden, or applying for CalFresh assistance, should be just as normalized on campus as going to the library to check out a book,” said Assistant Director of Basic Needs Dr. Jason Watkins. “I want that same sense of ease and comfort to be applied to our food and housing resources.”

Activities kick off on Nov. 15 with a food distribution at the Student Union that is open to students, faculty, staff and the broader community.

CSUB is also participating in the first Central Valley Higher Education Needs Summit on Nov. 16, a partnership between the CSU, UC and community college systems. The summit will include a student panel and breakout sessions. It focuses on how faculty and staff can better serve students.

The panel will include four students — one of whom will be a CSUB student, Krystal Raynes — who will speak about their experiences with food insecurity and homelessness.

“I know those will be impactful stories. I think for people who attend that, they will gain a lot from hearing from students themselves,” Dr. Watkins said. “As we listen to students talking about their experiences, there’s a great opportunity for faculty and staff to learn what’s helpful and what’s not helpful to students. I hope there’s some awareness, a perspective shift for those attending this conference.”

The breakout sessions will focus on the application process for CalFresh, the state’s food stamp program, as well as one on how faculty and staff can communicate more effectively with students in need. The latter workshop will be led by Dr. Watkins.

“I have faculty and staff sometimes tell me they have some students who are struggling and they don’t know what to say,” he said. “I want to help fill that gap so they’re comfortable with those conversations and they know what resources are available on their campuses so that the next time a student is struggling, they know where to turn.”

Dr. Watkins hopes CSUB students, faculty, staff and community members who participate in events as part of Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week will be inspired to get involved in any way they can to provide more support to students facing food and housing insecurity.

“It takes all of us to tackle this problem,” he said. “We’ve got a campus that really cares, with people that go out of their way personally to support students. I hope that we continue to be that campus, and I have no doubt that we will be.”

Here’s a look at all the activities being held this month as part of Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week:

Nov. 15: Food distribution, 11 a.m. at the Student Union; film screening and discussion of “Invisible: The Unseen Faces of Hunger in Kern," 6-7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Nov. 16: Central Valley Higher Education Needs Summit, 9-11:45 a.m. via Zoom. Registration is required by Nov. 12. Faculty and staff only. Food Pantry Virtual Escape Room, 7 p.m. via Zoom.

Nov. 17: Bring-a Buddy Day at the Food Pantry, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring a buddy to the pantry and you’ll both receive a special gift.

Nov. 18: Pot It Like It’s Hot: Gardening in Small Spaces workshop at the Edible Garden, 10-11 a.m. and 1-2 p.m.

Nov. 19: Basic Needs Ambassador Training, 1-4 p.m. RSVP is required by emailing Dr. Watkins at jwatkins4@csub.edu.

In addition, the CSUB Food Pantry all month long is accepting donations of side dishes such as potatoes, stuffing, mac and cheese, dinner rolls and other foods for Thanksgiving as part of its Provide the Side Food Drive. Donations may include boxed or packaged items as well as ingredients.