Sacramento State celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the new Basic Needs Resource Center at The WELL on Tuesday.
Under the umbrella of Student Health, Counseling and Wellness Services, the BNRC offers all currently enrolled students free food, clothing, parenting supplies, toiletries, hygiene products, couch surfing kits and referrals to housing and community resources. Students can schedule weekly visits, which are by appointment only, to privately access the center’s supplies and services. Jeanne Harris Van Dahlen, senior associate vice president of SHCWS, kicked off the event with remarks about the center’s mission.
“The Basic Needs Resource Center is a place of support, dignity and compassion,” Van Dahlen said. “It reflects our commitment to ensuring that students are not only here but that they thrive.”
At the event, Van Dahlen was joined by former Associated Students, Inc. Student Body President Nataly Andrade-Dominguez, who approached President Luke Wood with the idea for a new center two years ago.
When Andrade-Dominguez attended Sac State, she said she recognized a need for more extensive support for students facing food and housing insecurity. Now, serving as the Women’s Resource Center assistant program coordinator, Andrade-Dominguez spoke about the experiences that led her to propose the new center.
“This center was born out of a simple and urgent truth: Too many of our students face daily challenges that go far beyond the classroom,” Andrade-Dominguez said. “The Basic Needs Resource Center represents opportunity, opportunity for students to not only access these resources but to feel seen and to feel valued.”
The center also offers assistance with needs outside of the basics, such as CalFresh application assistance, as well as connections to housing resources and counseling services. A 2023 survey by the California Student Aid Commission found that 66% of college students statewide experienced food insecurity and more than half struggled with stable housing.
Following speeches and a ribbon-cutting by Van Dahlen, rows of shelves filled with all the supplies the center has to offer were unveiled to the public. Ryan Choi, ASI Food Pantry manager, said he was excited to see the expanded support for students. Choi said the ASI Food Pantry served over 3,000 students, around 500 students a week, from fall 2024 to summer 2025, according to ASI records.
RELATED: ASI Food Pantry provides resources for students with low food security
“There’s increasing literature that’s coming out that’s showing that our CSU students are experiencing so many different basic needs crises,” Choi said. “We’re working really closely with the Basic Needs Resource Center to be able to collect all of our data together and to even share our best practices.”
Students must make an appointment with the SHCWS Patient Portal to access the BNRC. While making an appointment, students fill out a list of items for a personal shopper to prepare before their visit.
Upon arrival, a Sac State OneCard is required, and the center asks that students bring a bag to carry 10 to 12 items. The center is open, by appointment, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Before the opening of the BNRC, students could use the ASI Food Pantry each week for free groceries and snacks. The campus also operates the Crisis Assistance & Resource Education Support office, which helps students with housing insecurity, financial emergencies and referrals to community programs.
Third-year English major Anna Williams said she sees the new center as a welcome addition to campus services.
“I’m really excited to see that there’s one more resource for struggling students,” Williams said. “I hope there’s more awareness and that students know the center exists.”
The BNRC accepts donations of food, new and gently used clothing, parenting supplies and personal care items. Monetary donations can be made through the University Foundation. More details on how students can volunteer will be provided in the future.
