With a record-breaking government shutdown putting assistance programs on hold, some students turn to campus resources for help. The Basic Needs Center, or BaNC, is working to fill the gap left by CalFresh and other government programs.
“The students that we’re seeing have a lot more anxiety, there’s a lot more concern, a lot more… I guess ‘unknowingness’ of how the month is gonna look for them,” said Sarah Cox, the Student Basic Needs Director.
Since 2021, the BaNC has been serving COC students to help lower the stress of food insecurity. Every semester, they help students fill their plates without emptying their wallets.
“When school’s in session, we get a lot more people in here, up to like, two or three hundred a day,” said Llandyn Lubs, Student and Employee at the BaNC.
With many students wondering whether they’ll have food on their tables, the bank has put in extra work to keep its pantry stocked.
“We did have a pretty major food drive for CalFresh students, on account of the government shutdown preventing the CalFresh from actually going through for a lot of peopl,e” said Lubs.
The BaNC collects donations from retailers and pantries across the Santa Clarita Valley, but individuals can also make a difference.
“If you have any school supplies like backpacks, notebooks that you’ve never used, pencils you’ve never used, you can bring them in and we’ll give them out to students,” said Lubs.
More than just material donations, students need to know that the BanC is here to support them. They need people to spread the word, visit and ask what they can do to help their fellow students.
“Our job or our goal is really to overcome barriers that students are having, or help them overcome their own barriers,” said Cox.
And remember that the BaNC isn’t just here for others – it’s here for you.
