Cal State Fullerton offers students assistance with food insecurity and basic needs

To help its students experiencing food and housing insecurity, Cal State Fullerton now has a center offering support, assistance and products with the grand opening of Tuffy’s Basic Needs Center.

The center, which opened Wednesday afternoon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside of Room 143 of McCarthy Hall, was designed to promote wellness and serve students with resources, such as emergency grant funds and off-campus social services, that enable them to complete their education.

Among the resources offered are food assistance in the form of gift cards to campus dining locations, donated meals at the Gastronome, the Titan Bites messaging app, CalFresh Program and referrals to a full-service pantry near the university.

Guests stop to admire the coats and shirts in the Tuffy’s Basic Needs Center career closet after the center’s grand opening Wednesday at Cal State Fullerton.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer )

The center also provides emergency, temporary housing for up to two weeks, hygiene products, gently used professional attire and financial support for unforeseen emergencies, crises or catastrophic events.

Tuffy’s Basic Needs Services is a campuswide initiative coordinated by CSUF’s Dean of Students Office, supporting the California State University’s Basic Needs Initiative.

A 2015 study by the Chancellor’s Office estimated that 8% to 12% of the CSU’s 460,000 students live in unstable housing conditions and 21% to 24% lack regular access to food.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2ELd1tJ.

Shelves holding basic needs items are ready for students at Tuffy’s Basic Needs Center on the Cal State Fullerton campus.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer )

kathleen.luppi@latimes.com

Twitter: @KathleenLuppi