This post was updated Nov. 8 at 10:30 p.m.
About one in three UCLA students have run out of food and couldn’t afford to buy more this year, according to the UC Undergraduate Experience Survey.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council’s Community Service Commission worked to address those financial challenges through a Basic Needs Fair on Tuesday, where students explored free campus resources such as meals and hygiene supplies. Thirteen student-run organizations set up booths in Bruin Plaza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sofia Escobar, a second-year undeclared engineering student, said she learned about the Good Clothes Good People’s rental service for formal attire through the event.
“I would not know about the stuff that UCLA offers students through these programs if it wasn’t for these pop-up events,” Escobar said.
Participating organizations included Swipe Out Hunger, which collects students’ surplus meal swipes to give to people experiencing food insecurity, and BruiNecessities, a committee of USAC’s Student Wellness Commission that primarily provides menstrual and dental products to students. Swipe Out Hunger distributed second-hand clothes and tote bags for students to decorate, while BruiNecessities handed out dental hygiene kits.
“We hope to allow students to know about the resources here on campus,” said BruiNecessities Director Andrea Reji.
IGNITE at UCLA, a student-run organization focused on reproductive justice and combatting sexual violence, raised awareness about these topics at the fair, said Molly Endert-Tatum, IGNITE’s director of civic engagement. Students could pick up tampons and condoms at the booth, and they had the opportunity to place sticky notes on a board to share what reproductive justice means to them.
“College is such a difficult time for so many people,” Endert-Tatum said. “It’s a rough transition. … Having these protections in place is absolutely vital.”
Beyond UCLA, the organizations at the fair also serve the broader Los Angeles community. For example, nonprofit organization Enriching Community Health Outreach gathered handwritten notes from attendees to include in care packages for people experiencing homelessness in Westwood.
Participants collected stamps from booths at the event on stamp cards provided by the CSC. People who received at least five stamps received free prizes and Korean corndogs from Smile Hotdog’s food truck.
However, the truck stopped serving food at about noon following an unannounced inspection by UCLA’s Environment, Health & Safety department, said Elaina Simonsen, CSC’s co-coalitions director.
“I’m disappointed that the people that had already completed the activity weren’t able to get the Smile Hotdog because it closed down,” Simonsen said.
Smile Hotdog failed a hygiene inspection and lacked a necessary hot water supply, owner Peter Woo said in an emailed statement. The food truck resumed service after it passed a reinspection Thursday, he added.
Because of the food truck’s unexpected closure, CSC is planning to host an additional Basic Needs Fair – typically a fall and spring quarter event – during the winter quarter, Simonsen said.
The fair, which coincided with Election Day, highlighted the connection between voting and access to basic needs resources, said Rickia Latchman, a third-year psychology student who attended the event.
“Today, a lot of students are either voting for the first time or just practicing their right to vote,” Latchman said. “It’s a good way to show students that when we have proper laws and regulations in place, there’s more access to opportunities for care for everybody.”
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