For Students

5-Step Checklist for Students: For Students Needing Support with Food & Housing Basic Needs

Late Night Cafe: There are free warm meals on Wednesday evenings for all students at the University Church.  Students may also volunteer to cook and serve. Contact: matthias@uuc-la.org

Trojan Food Pantry: There is free food and hygiene supplies at the campus pantry. Appointments are available to enroll in Cal Fresh food grant or find other resources with help of a social worker. Hours, additional info, and appointment scheduling are available  on the website Trojan Food Pantry. Students may also volunteer to help with upkeep, outreach, and donations.

Trojan Shelter: The shelter is scheduled to open in spring of 2020 for emergency or transitional student housing. Students can support this off-campus resource by conducting outreach, soliciting donations and working on logistics.

Emergency Loan Programs

• GSG https://gsg.usc.edu/emergency-fund-program/
• Student Affairs: https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/

• USC Support and Advocacy: https://uscsa.usc.edu

• Jewish Free Loan Association: https://www.jfla.org/apply-for-a-loan/loan-eligibility/

Free Food app coming soon. Students will be able to access free food on campus soon.

LA County Homeless Service Walk-in Centers: Information from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

WIN App: WIN is a free mobile and web app that connects ANYONE who is homeless or struggling to free resources and services. If you (or your family) are sleeping in a car, couch surfing or are in need of supportive services, WIN can connect you to over 1800 LA County-based resources in 12 categories.  You can search for anything – from a hot meal, shelter, medical care, legal services, employment and educational assistance to free showers, haircuts, laundry services and so much more. Take advantage of this mobile safety net and download WIN today!

WIN Web Link: https://www.ourchildrenla.org/win-app-web/ or Mobile App https://www.ourchildrenla.org/win-app/ .

Free Food @ USC (Facebook)! Do you know where free food is on campus? THEN SAY SO! What food? Where it at? When?

USC Joint Education Project: In choosing to focus on the neighborhoods surrounding the university, we hope to concentrate our resources and make an appreciable difference.  The proximity of most sites to campus also is helpful in combating transportation and scheduling issues.

USC Student Volunteer Center: As part of Campus Activities, the Volunteer Center is dedicated to promoting service within USC, the greater Los Angeles area, and the global community as a whole. The Volunteer Center’s programs are student-run and student-led.

HomefulLA: Inner City Law Center created Homeful.LA because of our desire to stop calling what we see on our streets the “new normal.” None of us can solve this crisis on our own, but together we can do better. We must do better. We will do better. Join us in our mission to end homelessness. Donate, advocate or volunteer today.

Alternative Spring Break: Travel to New York over spring break to provide hands on service for nonprofits that help the homeless.

Ansar Service Partnership: Immerse yourself in local hunger and homelessness through the volunteering outings of this organization.

Challah for Hunger: Fight hunger through baking and selling challah and donating the proceedings.

Friends & Neighbors Day: Three times a semester join USC students on Saturday mornings to volunteer in the local community including with the homeless.

Late Night Cafe: Support food insecure students by volunteering on campus by providing a warm night a week through cooking and serving at the University Church.  Contact: matthias@uuc-la.org

Mobile Clinic: Apply at the beginning of the semester to join a team of USC students who provide hands-on medical services at homeless shelters throughout Los Angeles.

Share a Meal: Roll and pass out burritos to homeless neighbors on a mobile food truck with USC students on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights.  No burrito-rolling experience required to meet new USC students and community members.  Service is voluntary each week but make sure to sign up at the beginning of each week if you wish to serve.

Community Care LA Mobile Showers Project (contact Orion Brutoco: obrutoco@usc.edu)

Trojan Shelter: Support the off campus homeless shelter for housing insecure students through conducting outreach, soliciting donations and working on logistics. Contact: Abigail Leung – abigaiwl@usc.edu

My LA2050 Grants Challenge: LA2050 is a community-guided initiative driving and tracking progress toward a shared vision for the future of Los Angeles. With the support of 30,000 Angelenos, we’ve outlined an aspirational vision centered on five goals and 60+ metrics tracked over time to evaluate how Los Angeles is faring.

Faculty and Staff Tip Sheet: Signs of Students Needing Support with Food & Housing Basic Needs

Resources for Housing

1. 1. Sublet What: Database of affordable housing in surrounding area.
   2. The Salvation Army What: Group homes, emergency shelters, and transitional living centers provide housing, food, and overnight lodging for varying amounts of time to those in need. In addition, they provide educational, counseling and vocational services to homeless, destitute individuals and families, and youth where family care is undesirable or unavailable. Eligibility: Anyone
   3. United Way What: Fueling efforts like 2-1-1, which connects millions of people to essential services (everything from domestic violence prevention support to resources to secure affordable housing and utilities assistance). 
   4. National Coalition for the Homeless What: If you are not homeless yet, it may be possible to avoid becoming homeless by finding out about prevention or emergency assistance programs in your area. Often these programs can help in paying rent, utilities, or bills. If you are homeless now, emergency assistance programs may help with health care, food, and temporary, transitional, or permanent housing.
   5. Homeless Veterans Helpline What: Information on Veteran homeless services and resources by state.
   6. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development What: Provides local homelessness assistance per state and local community. Call Center: http://www.va.gov/homeless/nationalcallcenter.asp Housing Counselor: https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/i_want_to/talk_to_a_housing_counselor More Info: The free 2-1-1 phone line provides information on various local services including food and shelter assistance. The line is operated 24 hours/7 days a week and is multilingual. For assistance specifically with default/foreclosure or rental needs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has provided a list of approved housing counseling agencies. http://www.211.org/

Resources for Food

1. 1. Coalition Against Hunger What: Directory of programs and food pantries.
   2. Commodity Supplemental Food Program What: Food program providing supplemental foods. Website provides info on how to apply; varies by state.
   3. Food Pantries Registry What: Find local food pantries and subsidized groceries.
   4. Feeding America What: Food pantry and mobile food bank information by state/city. Info on government food assistance.
   5. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program What: Hotline to help find immediate food resources in area.

Other Resources

1. Domestic Violence National Help Hotline What: “Our highly-trained advocates are available 24/7 to talk confidentially with anyone experiencing domestic violence, seeking resources or information, or questioning unhealthy aspects of their relationship.”
2. Medicaid What: Medicaid provides health coverage to millions of Americans, including eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities.
3. Q-Link Wireless What: “Lifeline is a Free government benefit program. Q Link Wireless is a leading provider of Lifeline and will give you a Free Cell phone plus Free monthly calling and texting. Qualify with programs like Food Stamps, Medicaid or income.”

Reference information on college campus food pantries

• Berkeley: https://pantry.berkeley.edu/
• Michigan State University (one of the founding universities of CUFBA (College and University Food Bank Alliance: http://foodbank.msu.edu/about/index.html
• CUFBA food pantry toolkit: https://sites.temple.edu/cufba/2017/07/11/campus-food-pantry-toolkit-is-here/
• Oregon State University Model Pantry:https://studentlife.oregonstate.edu/hsrc/food-security/hsrc-food-pantry
• Why Are Hungry College Students Not Seeking Help? Predictors of and Barriers to Using an On-Campus Food Pantry: https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy2.usc.edu/pmc/articles/PMC6163327/
• Student Food Access Toolkit: https://www.ucop.edu/global-food-initiative/_files/food-security-toolkit.pdf

Student Safety or Emergency Resources

Safety resources for students including the mobile app and important phone numbers.

Student Counseling Services (SCS)

(213) 740-7711 – 24/7 on call
Free and confidential mental health treatment for students, including short-term psychotherapy, group counseling, and crisis intervention.

Self-Care Resources

These listings are not meant to substitute for expert medical advice or treatment. The information is given to help you make informed choices about your health.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-8255
Provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP)

(213) 740-4900 – 24/7 on call
Free and confidential therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender-based harm.

Sexual Assault Resource Center

Visit the website for more information about how to get help or help a survivor, rights, reporting options, and additional resources.

Office of Equity and Diversity (OED)/Title IX compliance

(213) 740-5086
Works with faculty, staff, visitors, applicants, and students around issues of protected class.

Bias Assessment Response and Support

Incidents of bias, hate crimes and microaggressions need to be reported allowing for appropriate investigation and response.

Local Off-Campus Resources

Regional Off-Campus Resources

[tribe_events view=”list” tribe-bar=”false”]

See all events