Campus Basic Needs Center helps students when they need it most

39% of undergraduates say they don't have consistent access to healthy, affordable food

A pop-up food pantry in MLK Jr. Student Union is filled with tables of dry goods and other emergency staples. Several students are opening boxes and stocking shelves. — "This is such a unique situation," said Natalia Semeraro, food resource coordinator at the Basic Needs Center, of the pandemic and its effects on the campus community. "People who have never had to use emergency food resources before are now anxious about their food and rent and may have lost their jobs." (Photo by Brittany Hosea-Small)

January 14, 2022

Thirty-nine percent of UC Berkeley undergraduates and 16 percent of graduate students report a lack of consistent access to healthy, affordable food, among other needs. Berkeley’s Basic Needs Center aims to connect students with needed resources. (UC Berkeley video by Stephen McNally)

In this video produced by University Development and Alumni Relations, students Tessa Stapp and Ellis, along with staff leaders Ruben Canedo and Kiyoko Thomas, discuss how UC Berkeley’s Basic Needs Center is helping students find support for meeting their basic needs, including food, housing, financial stability, healthcare and more.