With the J dining hall closed and grocery stores inducing anxiety, some students are relying on Humboldt State’s OhSNAP! pantry for food.
OhSNAP! will remain open for the rest of the semester, serving students Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon and Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. on the bottom floor of the Jolly Giant Commons. OhSNAP! can also deliver food directly to you if you can’t make it to campus (email mira@humboldt.edu for more information).
Humboldt State University is one of the first universities to accept Electronic Benefit Transfer cards.
According to Iran Ortiz, a 5th year student and Oh SNAP! employee, options on campus are limited to where students can spend their food stamps.
“The only place on campus that accepts food stamps, or CalFresh benefits, is the Marketplace,” Ortiz said.
CalFresh, previously called food stamps and federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a U.S. Department of Agriculture run program that provides eligible households with an EBT card that works like a debit card.
According to CalFresh’s website, EBT cards can be used at most grocery stores and farmers markets, but benefits are meant to be supplemental and not intended to meet a family’s entire food need.
The process to sign up for CalFresh can be tricky if doing it by yourself. But Oh SNAP! is student-driven with a mission is to increase HSU students access to food and they can help with the process of signing up for EBT.
“Although we are not eligibility workers, so we can not determine benefits or how much you get, we can help you out throughout the whole process of CalFresh. We’ve been trained by CalFresh workers to know the whole process and all of that.”
Iran Ortiz
Ortiz explains how her and other Oh SNAP! employees can help students sign up.
“The process for students is different because they abide by student eligibility requirements,” Ortiz said. “Although we are not eligibility workers, so we can not determine benefits or how much you get, we can help you out throughout the whole process of CalFresh. We’ve been trained by CalFresh workers to know the whole process and all of that.”
Sara Olsen is a third year with previous experience with Oh SNAP! who remembers some of the requirements of signing up for EBT benefits through Oh SNAP!
“The people who help, volunteer and work for Oh SNAP! are very helpful and will give you paperwork to fill out,” Olsen said. “Which they will then fax in office if you’re ready.”
Olsen explains that after submitted the paperwork, CalFresh will call and set up a phone interview. After deemed eligible for the program, an EBT card is sent in the mail.
Alexandre Sicaud is the manager of the College Creek Marketplace and doesn’t know the exact reasoning behind the Marketplace being the only place to accept EBT on campus.
“We used to only have one EBT scanner, then we upgraded to two,” said Sicaud. “But as for why we’re the only place on campus, it might have to do with the fact that we’re the largest grocery operation.”
CalFresh benefits are provided to help pay for groceries. In fact, hot foods can not be purchased with an EBT card in an effort to promote healthy and nutritious alternatives.
If you need help filling out CalFresh paperwork, head to the Oh SNAP! office located in the Recreation Wellness Center, room 122.
Oh SNAP! is an on campus resource with a goal of helping Humboldt State students get food. During the fall semester, weekly stands of fresh-picked produce are available to students. Cooking a nutritious meal can be financially strenuous, but Oh SNAP’s farm stand is available twice a week.
For students like HSU junior and microbiology major Matthew Peter it was their first year using Oh SNAP! to get their groceries.
“This is technically my third time,” Peter said. “Now I’m trying to make an effort in coming.”
The farm stand wasn’t the only service that Peter used, he was also familiar with the Oh SNAP! food pantry which provides nonperishable ingredients to make full meals.
Peter says he enjoys the farm stand because he feels canned goods can go to students that need it.
“I feel veggies are more volatile, for lack of a better term,” Peter said. “If there’s any leftovers they will have to be used that day, whereas cans can be stored for later.”
Since the farm stand sets up twice a week, students have the opportunity to attend both days which Peter says he has started doing.
Unfortunately, not all students are aware of the Oh SNAP! program. Valerie Hernandez, a HSU senior and art major, says this was the first year she is using the program and didn’t recall it being mentioned during orientation.
“Some people think they need to fill out paperwork, but no, it’s easy for students,” Hernandez said. “All you need is your student ID. I forgot mine at home but they can still help you.”
If you accidentally forget your ID, like Hernandez did, don’t be alarmed because the volunteers at Oh SNAP! can still pull up your information.
HSU senior and social work major Pand Moua volunteers at the Oh SNAP! farm stand every week and says the program also assists students in applying for alternative ways of getting food.
“We have a ton of resources for students on campus,” Moua said. “We even help with Cal-Fresh applications and faxing.”
Cal-Fresh is a resource that alleviates complications for students who do not have time to access the food pantry or farm stand.
The Oh SNAP! food program is located at room 114 of the Recreation Wellness Center. Moua says that for students with disabilities, the location can be difficult to access but there are resources on campus to help.
“Disabled students can use the Students Disabilities Resource Center for transportation and come get whatever they need.”
The services provided by Oh SNAP! goes beyond food distribution, it also ensures the well being of HSU students.
The growing season for local farms affects the operational days for the farm stand, but the program should be accessible for students even after finals. The academic calendar on HSU’s website has the farm listed until the end of the year.