Many undergraduate and graduate students experience some degree of food insecurity at some point during their collegiate career. Support is available through on campus Basic Needs resources as well as through community food assistance programs.
Requests for on campus resources are confidential and will be honored without questioning the legitimacy of need. Consider registering yourself or referring a student if food insecurity is present. This program is supported 100% through donations with no expectation of re-payment.
Santa Clara University Resources
- The Bronco Food Pantry The Bronco Food Pantry provides students with free, shelf stable essentials to help reduce food insecurity. The Bronco Food Pantry also collaborates with Santa Clara University’s Forge Garden to offer fresh produce to ensure that students can thrive academically with nutritious meals.
- The Forge Garden Santa Clara University’s Forge Garden holds a weekly farm stand and donates fresh produce to the Bronco Food Pantry. The farm stand is a donation and sliding scale based initiative which means no one is turned away for lack of funds. To find more information about the Forge Garden, the Farm Stand or for directions to the Forge Garden please click the links.
- Supplemental Dining Points Program Students can gain access to supplemental dining points from our dining points donation fund in order to have access to meals while on campus. Dining points are also able to be used in the campus cellar market in the basement floor of the Benson dining center.
- Grocery Gift Cards The Basic Needs program, in partnership with the Catalá Club, can provide students with donated, emergency gift cards to Safeway and/or Target in order to offset costs for other expenditures.
- CalFresh Application Assistance In partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank, students can be connected to application support for CalFresh benefits and/or sign up to receive free groceries. Through this partnership, students can also gain more information about their current application status or appeal a denied application. To refer yourself directly, please fill out this referral form. You can expect to be contacted within 1-2 business days. Please ensure to provide your cell phone number and email so you can be contacted by either text, call or email. If you do not meet CalFresh eligibility requirements and/or would like to receive free groceries through Second Harvest Food Bank anonymously, please complete the Basic Needs registration link and we can connect you.
- SCU Free Food Alert Students can join the SCU Free Food Alert workspace on Slack to get alerts whenever free food is available at campus events.
Santa Clara County Community Resources
- CalFresh CalFresh, also known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is a California benefits program to support your food security. Eligible students may receive as much as $298 per month via an electronic EBT card to use at major chain grocery stores. To check eligibility requirements or access the application directly, please click here.
- Calworks (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids) Calworks is California's welfare program providing temporary cash aid, employment assistance, and supportive services to low-income families with children. Being a Calworks recipient can also provide access to other family support systems such as subsidized child care. To learn more please click here.
- Park- It Market West Valley Community College sponsors a mobile food pantry that brings free, fresh produce, meat, dairy products, dry goods and canned food to community spaces in the Los Gatos, Saratoga and West San Jose areas. Click here to view the Park-It Market schedule of locations and hours.
- Second Harvest Food Bank Second Harvest Food Bank provides free groceries to anyone in the community. Grocery pick up is offered Monday through Friday from 8 am - 5 pm at 4001 N First St, San Jose, CA 95134. They also provide a food locator on their website that shows other available free food assistance in the area including free groceries and/or pre-prepared meal pick up options. Please click here for more information.
