To support Cal State San Bernardino students, the university has developed a number of initiatives to help those who are facing food, housing and financial insecurity. These resources are all part of the new Coyote Basic Needs website at CSUSB.

“Campuses across the CSU are making valiant efforts to provide basic needs resources for students facing these hardships. CSUSB is committed to providing these resources and support in order to alleviate these basic needs and help our students succeed and reach their academic potential,” said John Yaun, assistant vice president of Student Affairs for Housing and Strategic Initiatives and chair of the Coyote Basic Needs Committee. “The CSUSB Basic Needs Committee, a group of caring, committed faculty, staff and students, has worked tirelessly to develop and implement campus resources and initiatives to meet the basic needs of CSUSB’s students.”

“We would like to encourage the campus community to add a link to the website on your webpages and share it on your social media channels to help ensure students know about these important basic needs resources,” said Kim Hunsaker, confidential aide and special projects liaison.

The Coyote Basic Needs initiative at CSUSB is part of the California State University (CSU) system-wide Basic Needs Initiative, which launched in 2016 to support students’ well-being.

The initiative’s goal is to increase support and resources for students who face material hardship to increase holistic student success, which is associated with having their basic needs met.

According to a CSU report released in 2016, estimates indicate that nearly one in four CSU students are facing food insecurity. Some of CSUSB’s efforts in addressing this need include expanded services offered at the Obershaw DEN food pantry, which opened in 2015, providing CalFresh outreach and enrollment support, creating a new food pantry at the Palm Desert Campus, which opens on May 22, building a campus community garden, providing an option for CSUSB meal-plan holders to donate meals, and providing meal packs for students.

For students struggling to maintain stable housing, the CSUSB CARE (Campus Assessment, Response and Education) team is available to assist and provide support to students for temporary, emergency housing options.

Emergency loans and similar resources are also available to students facing an unexpected financial crisis or need.  

All of these campus resources for CSUSB students can be located on the university’s new Coyote Basic Needs website.

To make a donation to support CSUSB students in need, visit the Coyote Basic Needs website at csusb.edu/basic-needs. Donations may also be made directly to the Obershaw DEN via Amazon.