Why it matters: To improve CalFresh outreach and enrollment, California started setting aside annual funds in 2021 for public colleges and universities to establish and operate basic needs centers with food pantries, where students obtain free food staples. The California State University and University of California systems each receive $15 million and California Community Colleges receives $30 million annually. As of 2023, every public higher education campus in the state has a basic needs center and food pantry.
Read on... for five ways some colleges are offering creative alternatives to feed students.
Since 2022, California has been offering free lunches to all students in elementary through high school. But once they reach college, more than two-thirds of students who apply for financial aid experience food insecurity, according to a 2023 report by the California Student Aid Commission.
To improve CalFresh outreach and enrollment, California started setting aside annual funds in 2021 for public colleges and universities to establish and operate basic needs centers with food pantries, where students obtain free food staples. The California State University and University of California systems each receive $15 million and California Community Colleges receives $30 million annually. As of 2023, every public higher education campus in the state has a basic needs center and food pantry.
However, for many campuses, these solutions still aren’t enough. To fill the gaps, some have created their own innovative solutions. From free meals to food lockers, staff and students at five campuses around California offer creative alternatives.
Humboldt students level up their food pantry
At Cal Poly Humboldt, through the full-service food program “Oh SNAP!,” students stock the shelves, fill pantry orders and offer CalFresh application support. They also greet their peers as they enter, offering them tea or coffee.
To reduce food waste, students negotiated in 2016 with the campus dining services department to collect unused food to offer at the pantry at no cost to students. The department notifies the basic needs center when leftovers are available; students bring their own containers to package up what they need.
Oh SNAP! has hired a local organic farmer to provide produce and give classes on cooking and gardening. The program also offers pop-up thrift stores where students can fill a bag with clothes and housewares for $5; proceeds go back into the program.
Oh SNAP! “provides peace of mind,” said Anna Martinez, a student studying political science, law and policy at Cal Poly Humboldt. “I don't have to really worry too heavy on whether or not I can afford food, because if I can't, there's always Oh SNAP! I can go to.”
As the social justice, equity and inclusion officer for Cal Poly’s student government, Martinez successfully advocated for the student board to increase funding for cultural foods. She values the sense of community Oh SNAP! provides.
“They're very welcoming when it comes to different needs,” she said.
The program, vital for the 6,000 students at Cal Poly Humboldt, clocked 30,000 visits to Oh SNAP! last year, according to Mira Friedman, health education and clinic support services lead.
Compton College serves free meals to all
Sara Goldrick-Rab, a Philadelphia sociologist and advocate for college student basic needs, thinks a free meal every day is “exactly what is needed” on college campuses. She conducted a study giving students free, daily meals for three semesters at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston.
“It allowed students to eat in a regular way in the school cafeteria, just like they would in the National School Lunch Program. And lo-and-behold, it increased graduation rates,” Goldrick-Rab said.
Compton College President Keith Curry read about the Bunker Hill pilot program and decided to implement a similar program at Compton. Now, every Compton student — and employee — receives a daily meal. Students also get $20 each week to spend at the campus farmer’s market. Students enrolled in CalFresh receive $50 each week for the farmer’s market and can use their EBT card at campus dining services. The college uses a mix of grants and various campus funds to cover the costs of the meal program.
“We're doing more than any other community college in the state of California and also nationally,” Curry said. “How many schools can say that students receive one meal per day on their campus from their cafeteria?”
The Compton College campus in Compton.
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Courtesy Compton College
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Some California colleges offer a limited number of free meals, such as UC Davis, where a food truck serves between 300 and 400 meals per day and students pay what they want. In fall 2025, West Valley-Mission District in Santa Clara County will begin offering free meals.
Student Corinthia Mims said the first time she entered Compton’s cafeteria, “it was joy, always buzzing,” she said. Her twin, Cynthia Mims, said the free meals bring everyone together like family.
“[Students] feel embraced and they feel important. It's a feast,” she said.
Feeding students keeps them in school. According to data the college gathered last year, students who received free meals and money for the farmers’ market were more likely to stay in their classes for the entire semester with a completion rate of 1% or 2% higher than the general population.
Curry visits the cafeteria to get feedback from the students. “They're proud to tell me what they like and what they got today. Because there's no negative stigma around it, because everyone is treated equally,” he said.
Goldrick-Rab highlights the program at Compton College as an example of what a college student universal meal plan could look like. “It's a very nice modern version. … It's not really a cafeteria in the classic sense. It is refrigerators full of prepared meals, the way that adults would go into a Whole Foods and get a grab-and-go,” she said.
In 2019, U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, introduced the Food for Thought bill, which proposes universal meal pilot programs on college campuses. The bill failed and was reintroduced in 2022 and 2023 but never enacted.
Contra Costa College fills food lockers with free meals
At Contra Costa College, students who work full time have difficulty accessing the food pantry during open hours. In April, the college unveiled 20 refrigerated lockers in the campus cafeteria where students can pick up their pre-ordered, free groceries between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students order online and student staff fill the orders.
The campus basic needs center, called the Compass Center, also offers free meal vouchers to students three days a week, giving out 50 for breakfast, 75 for lunch and 15 for dinner.
Teddy Thollaug, a first-year student studying art and journalism at Contra Costa College, says they appreciate the hot meals and food lockers, especially on days when their disability makes it too hard to stand and cook. Because Thollaug’s classes are all online, they are not on campus regularly.
Teddy Thollaug at the Contra Costa College dining hall in San Pablo on May 8, 2025. Thollaug works as a student worker at the campus’ Basic Needs Services, which offers weekly free food to low-income students delivered through refrigerated food lockers in the dining hall.
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Florence Middleton
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CalMatters
)
A typical order includes fresh fruit and vegetables, butter and cheese, and a “mystery package,” which contains grains, sauces and canned food. “Honestly, I feel like a kid on Christmas every time I open a mystery package,” Thollaug said.
In 2024, the center served 5,008 students and 14,785 families of students, according to Hope Dixon, the basic needs center coordinator.
Antelope Valley College students earn points for food
To encourage and support students to take full course loads, Antelope Valley College initiated Fresh Success, a CalFresh program that “pays” enrolled students in points for enrolled units.
Full-time students get more points, “because that's our goal. We want you to get your degree, and [if you’re a full-time student,] you're less likely to be able to run around and get all the other community resources,” said Jill Zimmerman, dean of the Antelope Valley College student health and wellness center.
Fresh Success is part of CalFresh’s Employment and Training program, and is overseen by the Foundation for California Community Colleges. Currently 20 colleges across 18 counties participate in the program, which partially reimburses schools with federal dollars for workforce development services such as job training and job search assistance for low-income students.
Fresh Success allocates points for each unit enrolled, up to 40 points per week. Students use their points at the on-campus pantry to purchase food, toiletries and laundry soap.
For Alliza Wade, having access to Fresh Success means being able to put more time toward school rather than working more hours. Wade, a STEM major at Antelope Valley College, is enrolled in CalFresh but it doesn’t cover all of her food expenses.
“[Fresh Success] has a very, very significant impact on how I'm able to live and eat, and how I'm going to be able to pursue my future, because [it helps with] saving and being able to eat healthy,” Wade said.
Since the college is reimbursed 45 cents for every dollar spent, the Fresh Success program benefits the college as well by providing funds to put towards employment and training support like job-specific clothing and gear, cooking classes and car tune-ups through the campus automotive program.
Cerro Coso feeds students who aren’t eligible for CalFresh
When Lorena Moreno started as the basic needs coordinator in early 2024 at Cerro Coso Community College in the southeastern Sierra region of the state, she noticed that students without permanent legal status were in dire need of assistance. Non-citizens are not eligible for CalFresh.
Moreno tackled the need by creating an on-campus food program called WileyFresh — modeled on Aggie Fresh at UC Davis, which serves students who meet CalFresh requirements but lack citizenship. Eligible students receive a monthly Albertson’s gift card valued at $291, comparable to the amount an eligible single student receives on a monthly CalFresh EBT card.
Like the Aggie Fresh program, students who qualify for WileyFresh are required to participate in workshops that support academic and personal growth. Moreno offers the workshops as a webinar to protect student identities.
The Cerro Coso Community College in Ridgecrest.
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Courtesy Cerro Coso Community College
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Last fall, Moreno increased outreach efforts. Her team of part-time student employees passed out flyers at events to raise awareness. They saw visits to the Wiley Food Pantry grow from about 350 per month in the spring semester to about 500 per week in the fall.
This summer, Moreno intends to expand the program to include more students who can’t enroll in CalFresh. “Because at the end of the day, that's what it's intended for — this population who is missing out.”
Research shows students can’t rely on each other’s charity
Many colleges now offer a way for students to donate unused card swipes from their campus meal plans to each other. However, research shows that these donations only reach a tiny fraction of students.
Before 2017, college dining services did not allow students to share their meal plans with other students. This didn’t sit well with students at Morehouse and Spelman colleges in Atlanta. They began a hunger strike to challenge meal plan policies that forbid sharing meal swipes. Their activism convinced their colleges to change the policies and led to a nationwide program, Swipe Out Hunger.
Meal-swipe programs, as they’re called at the approximately 850 colleges nationwide that offer them, allow students to donate unused meal swipes to fellow students who need them. In California, 17 colleges participate in Swipe Out Hunger.
But they are not effective, Goldrick-Rab said. She evaluated Swipe Out Hunger and found that the active programs see just 300 swipes a year.
“At the bottom line, I would rather give people money than food, but I still think the National School Lunch Program is important. I just want all of it. I want the guaranteed basic income. I want a higher minimum wage. Because all of it is scientifically working,” Goldrick-Rab said.
Amy Moore is a fellow with the College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. CalMatters higher education coverage is supported by a grant from the College Futures Foundation.
For the record: This story has been edited to clarify that the 2023 Food and Housing Basic Needs Survey by the California Student Aid Commission uses data from a survey of students who applied for financial aid.
Jorge "Coqui" H. Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on Wednesady to demand the Dodgers not visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.
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J.W. Hendricks
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The LA Local
)
Topline:
Less than 24 hours before season opener, longtime Dodgers fans demand the team divest from immigration detention centers and decline the White House visit.
More details: More than 30 people joined Richard Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. “We are demanding that the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together we have the power to make a change.”
Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium.
“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.
Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.
More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team.
“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”
Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”
Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.
Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.
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J.W. Hendricks
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The LA Local
)
In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers.
“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.
The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants.
The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.
When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a “slap in the face.”
“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”
According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.
“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”
The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place.
Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.
“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.
Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment reporter and brings you the top news you need for the day.
Published March 25, 2026 3:38 PM
The warmer weather and high water flow are causing an early outbreak of black flies in the San Gabriel Valley.
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Courtesy SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District
)
Topline:
The warmer weather and high water flow are causing an early outbreak of black flies in the San Gabriel Valley, according to officials.
What are black flies? Black flies are tiny, pesky insects that often get mistaken for mosquitoes. The biting flies breed near foothill communities like Altadena, Azusa, San Dimas and Glendora. They also thrive near flowing water.
What you need to know: Black flies fly in large numbers and long distances. When they bite both humans and pets, they aim around the eyes and the neck. While the bites can be painful, they don’t transmit diseases in L.A. County.
A population spike: Anais Medina Diaz, director of communications at the SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District, told LAist that at this time last year, surveillance traps had single-digit counts of adult black flies, but this year those traps are collecting counts above 500.
So, why is the population growing? Diaz said the surge is unusual for this time of year.
“We are experiencing them now because of the warmer temperatures we've been having,” Diaz said. “And of course, all the water that's going down through the river, we have a high flow of water that is not typical for this time of year.”
What officials are doing: Officials say teams are identifying and treating public sources where black flies can thrive, but that many of these sites are influenced by natural or infrastructure conditions outside their control.
How to protect yourself: Black flies can be hard to avoid outside in dense vegetation, but you can reduce the chance of a bite by:
Wearing loose-fitted clothing that covers the entire body.
Wearing a hat with netting on top.
Spraying on repellent, but check the label. For a repellent to be effective, it needs to have at least 15% DEET, the only active ingredient that works against black flies.
Turning off any water features like fountains for at least 24 hours, especially in foothill communities.
See an uptick in black flies in your area? Here's how to report it
SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District Submit a tip here You can also send a tip to district@sgvmosquito.org (626) 814-9466
Greater Los Angeles Vector Control District Submit a service request here You can also send a service request to info@GLAmosquito.org (562) 944-9656
Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control Submit a report here You can also send a report to ocvcd@ocvector.org (714) 971-2421 or (949) 654-2421
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Robert Garrova
explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health.
Published March 25, 2026 3:28 PM
Jeremy Kaplan and Florence at READ Books in Eagle Rock.
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Courtesy Jeremy Kaplan
)
Topline:
Local favorite mom and pop shop READ Books in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say they’re just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.
The backstory: Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and their shop dog Florence.
What happened? The building where Kaplan and his wife Debbie rent was recently sold and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.
What's next? While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.
Read on... for what small businesses can do.
A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.
Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.
Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.
“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.
But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.
Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.
California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.
Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
What can small businesses do?
Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.
Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.
“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.
She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.
“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.
Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.
While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.
Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.
Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.
By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.
When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.
“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.
“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”
Kavish Harjai
writes about infrastructure that's meant to help us move about the region.
Published March 25, 2026 3:12 PM
A field team member of the Bureau of Street Lighting installs a solar-powered light in Filipinotown.
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Mayor Bass Communications Office
)
Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan in a 13-1 vote on Tuesday to send ballots to more than half a million property owners asking if they are willing to pay more per year to fortify the city’s streetlight repair budget, most of which has essentially been frozen since the 1990s. The item still requires L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ signature, but her office confirmed to LAist on Wednesday that she’ll approve it.
Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.
Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.
Near unanimous vote: L.A.City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote on Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.
Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.
How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.
Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired.The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.
Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan in a 13-1 vote Tuesday to send ballots to more than a half-million property owners asking if they are willing to pay more per year to fortify the city’s streetlight repair budget, most of which essentially has been frozen since the 1990s. The item still requires L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ signature, but her office confirmed to LAist on Wednesday that she’ll approve it.
Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.
Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.
Near unanimous vote: L.A.City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.
Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.
How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.
Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.
