The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Oh Snap

  • HSU Student Resources to Get Through the Pandemic

    HSU Student Resources to Get Through the Pandemic

    Student resources for school, finances, food, housing and counseling

    Here is a list of resources Humboldt State is offering for students. Click here for a student-created site of community resources. Click here for the site in Spanish.

    Educational advice:

    Enoch Hale is the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Humboldt State University. He provided five tips to help students with online learning during the shelter in place order. His tips revolved around being kind and flexible.

    “Kindness is having the patience and the benefit of the doubt to know that everyone else is struggling,” Hale said. “Be flexible—no one signed up for this and we are going to have to be agile in our expectations in the changing patterns.”

    Five tips to help with online school from Hale:

    1. Don’t ignore feelings—reflect on them so they don’t manage us.
    2. Communicate with professors more, not less.
    3. Log on more frequently. Check your emails and canvas more often. Not all courses will be on Zoom.
    4. Set a schedule, use a study calendar and stick to a routine.
    5. Check the Keep Learning website.

    Finances:

    HSU Coordinator of Student Services for the financial aid office Morgan McBroom provided financial advice to students. McBroom suggested students in a crisis contact the financial aid office.

    For students who are hard-pressed for money, there is a student emergency loan that ranges from $500 to $1000. It is a short-term loan and can come within a few days. Financial services will work to help students pay it back. Students who have not used all of their student loans from the previous semester may also still have access to them.

    Due to the COVID-19 crisis, students’ loan interests are being waived, but the estimated date that it will stop is in June. As of now, the end date hasn’t been established. If you are an HSU graduate, you can have your loans waived for a year with no interest.

    Contact: finaid@humboldt.edu or (707) 826-4321.

    Housing:

    In addition to her advice on financial matters, McBroom also provided housing advice. There is emergency housing available on campus. The off-campus liaison is a resource if you’re struggling with rent.

    Contact: housingliaison@humboldt.edu

    Food:

    1. The recreation room on the first floor of the Jolly Giant Commons offers pre-made bags with food items. This happens twice a week on Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. and Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. Vegan and vegetarian meal bags are also available.

    If you cannot make those times due to isolation or quarantine, contact mira@humboldt.edu and she can set up a delivery time.

    2. Oh SNAP! can also help you load your student ID card with J points. You need to express a financial need for food support. If you have over $40 in J points, you need to wait until your card is under $40. You can receive $60 every four weeks, but this is subject to change. If there is an increase of funds there could be an increase in the amount given to students. You can also donate your J points to help students in need.

    Contact: ravin.craig@humboldt.edu.

    3. For extra help, try applying for CalFresh, a state-funded program to help pay for food. Students not working 20 hours a week can apply for CalFresh, except for students in the Educational Opportunity Program program, students with specialized grants and work-study students. You can qualify for up to $200 a month for groceries.

    Contact ravin.craig@humboldt.edu if you need help with the application process or would like to see if you qualify.

    Counseling:

    Mira B. Friedman is the lead for health education and clinic support services. She provided information about counseling for students.

    HSU Counseling and Psychological Services is offering virtual appointments.

    Students can call (707) 826-3236 to make an appointment. There’s also a 24/7 hotline for immediate crisis outreach for students to speak with a therapist by phone at (707) 826-3236.

  • Only One Location at Humboldt State Accepts EBT

    Only One Location at Humboldt State Accepts EBT

    College Creek Marketplace is the only location on campus that accepts CalFresh food benefits

    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! Farm Stand Feeds Students

    Oh SNAP! Farm Stand Feeds Students

    In addition to nonperishables, Oh SNAP! offers fresh produce twice a week

    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.

    Linda Mateo and Pand Moua at the Oh SNAP Farm Stand on Wed., Sept. 25. | Photo by Alberto Muro

    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.

  • Fresh food for free

    Fresh food for free

    By | Iridian Casarez

    A long line crowded the Recreation and Wellness Center Wednesday morning as Oh Snap started prepping for their free farmstand.

    Katrina Smith, a graduate student in Wildlife waited in line for her fresh produce.

    “It’s nice to have fresh produce,” Smith said. “It’s free for students and it’s healthy, It’s an excellent resource.”

    Farmstand1.jpeg
    A line of students waiting for fresh produce outside of the Recreation and Wellness Center. Photo credit: Iridian Casarez

    Bridget Ocampo, a fourth year Critical Race, Gender and Sexuality Studies major, started working at Oh Snap this semester, and she helped pass out produce during the farm stand. Ocampo said she was excited for the farm stand. To each student walking by she told them about the free produce.

    “The farmstand is awesome,” Ocampo said. “I love it. It’s free food for students.”

    Ocampo said that she loved getting fed by all other students and wanted to experience the feeling of giving that back to others.

    Farmstand3.jpeg
    Ashlie Crews helping check students in to get fresh fruits and vegetables. Photo credit: Iridian Casarez

    “I see their faces when I am giving them their produce and they’re excited,” Ocampo said. “I mean, c’mon watermelon is expensive and we’re giving it out free.”

    Students sign in using their ID cards and are able to take three produce items from the farm stand. This is Oh Snap’s third year holding the farm stand. Oh Snap raises money in the spring semester to pay a local farmer to grow organic food before the start of the fall semester, according to HSU’s Health Educator, Ravin Craig.

    Craig runs the Peer Health Educators, Oh Snap and is in charge of holding presentations about health education topics.

    Farmstand8.jpeg
    Fresh produce at Oh Snap’s farmstand. Photo credit: Iridian Casarez

    “We raised a lot of money last spring so we’re going to see more produce this semester,” Craig said. “I love it, and I like talking to people about vegetables and where food comes from.”

    Craig said that the farm stand was a way of teaching students where their food comes from. She said she hopes to one day get students to the farm where the food grows.

    “Budgets are small and rent is high, so why not get in line for free produce,” Smith said. “I’m really thankful it’s here.”