Goals
One goal of this project was to build out an ongoing CalFresh Outreach Program with UCSB student interns and under the supervision of Santa Barbara County (SBC) Food Bank. Prior to 2016, Associated Students Food Bank had partnered with the SBC Food Bank on periodic CalFresh outreach days and enrollment events. During 2016-2017, the first cohort of UCSB student CalFresh outreach interns were hired to offer ongoing outreach to students.
Another goal of this first year was to develop college-specific outreach materials and approaches to CalFresh outreach that helped students learn about what CalFresh is and how it can be a resource for them. Jessica and her team aimed to debunk myths related to CalFresh ineligibility and encourage more students to apply. By creating better outreach, infrastructure, and accessibility of CalFresh, they hoped to connect eligible students to CalFresh services and empower them to be the voice of Basic Needs.
Deliverables
The main deliverable from this project is the number of UCSB students who have been registered with CalFresh. You can read about that from the California Policy Lab Report "Filling the Gap: CalFresh Eligibility Among
University of California and California Community College Students" This was not written by our students, but it highlights their outcomes. You can also see more up to date counts of our CalFresh applications at the CalFresh Outreach Program Dashboard.
Outcomes/Metrics
During the 2016-2017 school year, the UCSB CalFresh interns helped 575 students apply for CalFresh. Through the program they established, that number increased to 2,696 in 2017-2018 and laid the foundations for the current UCSB CalFresh Outreach Program, which regularly registers well over 4,000 students. In later years, the program management shifted from being co-managed by SBC Food Bank and UCSB to being fully managed by UCSB (with all the tools and training that SBC Food Bank helped the campus build). The program now has a full time UCSB staff person and a more robust team of student interns.
Over the course of the project, Jessica and her team began to view a change in the culture around Basic Needs and student knowledge on CalFresh support. They were able to break down stigmas around using CalFresh and that this is a resource that is available for many college students. The enrollment events hosted by the CalFresh interns resulted in high attendance, high numbers of applications, and application approval rates of over 80%. Jessica’s work with CalFresh laid the framework to where the university is now with CalFresh and Basic Needs.
About
This project consisted of promoting outreach on CalFresh to UCSB students. Jessica, leading the first cohort of CalFresh Outreach interns, assisted students by guiding them through the CalFresh application and scanning and submitting these documents to the county. She also completed outreach through multiple on-campus locations such as the Financial Aid office, where there was a space to assist students with the application process, and the campus food pantry, which was the main CalFresh outreach site. Off-campus sites, such as the Isla Vista Food Cooperative and the weekly UCSB Farmer’s Market (which was later sunset), also aided in promoting outreach to UCSB students. Jessica and her team also hosted enrollment parties, where they would direct large groups of students through the CalFresh application process. Jessica and her team maintained a close partnership with the Santa Barbara County Food Bank, which connected them with other food banks and allowed them to have food distribution at the enrollment parties.
Project Leads
- Jessica Vera
Partners
- Evan Baumann, County of Santa Barbara Social Services
- Melissa Cohen, Isla Vista Food Cooperative
- Mike Miller, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
- Katie Maynard, Sustainability Internships and Community Resources Department
Funders
- In 2016-2017, the supervision of this program was funded through a combination of funding from Santa Barbara County Food Bank and a UCSB CalFresh Outreach Grant through the SBC Food Bank.
- Student Interns were funded and hired through the UCSB Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, and some addiitoal intern and program funding was provided by the UC Systemwide Global Food Initiative.
- In later years, UCSB established a USDA CalFresh Outreach Grant subcontracted though CSU Chico's Center for Healthy Communties and matched that funding with support from state legislative funding for basic needs.
Ways to Get Involved
- Apply to be an Advocate (On Handshake- Applications typically open in the Spring)
- More information on Basic Needs and applying for CalFresh: https://basicneeds.ucsb.edu/
- Join the UCSB Food Security and Basic Needs Taskforce: https://basicneeds.ucsb.edu/about/committees/food-security-taskforce
Related Projects & More Info
This project was the launch of program that still exists today. You can learn more about the CalFresh program at the Basic Needs website.