BASIC NEEDS RESOURCES

PREPARED MEALS (COMMUNITY)

Find prepared meals on campus for purchase or via a dining commons plan. 

RESIDENTIAL DINING (UCSB STUDENTS)

Residential Dining Services can ensure healthy and delicious meal options at any of the four dining commons. Menus are designed to include sustainable, healthy, high-quality food to meet our diverse population. Residential Dining provides balance meals meeting a myriad of dietary needs including vegan, vegetarian, and more.

SWIPES FOR US (UCSB STUDENTS)

The Swipes For Us program allows students to donate or receive unused meal points to feed peers and community members in need to be used in the campus dining commons. *This program is currently on a brief hold due to the pandemic, and we look forward to continuing this partnership in the future.  

FREE MEALS IN ISLA VISTA (COMMUNITY)

Thanks to the generosity of local organizations, there are meals prepared at no cost available for anyone.
Cafe Picasso: Meet at St. Michael's University Church (6586 Picasso Rd) Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

Food Not Bombs: An all vegan meal made with ingredients donated from the local farmer's market. Meet at Little Acorn Park (901 El Embarcadero Rd) Sunday and/or Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

UNIVERSITY CENTER DINING AND RESTAURANTS (COMMUNITY)

Explore a variety of dining options available on campus, as well as a list of establishments that accept Gaucho Bucks and Dining Dollars.

FOOD BANKS AND PANTRIES (COMMUNITY)

Get free food and toiletries at food pantries on campus and in the the local community.

FOOD BANK AND PANTRIES IN ISLA VISTA (COMMUNITY)

Take a look at the locations in IV that offer free produce and canned items. Listed below are a few. Check out this link for more!

AS Food Bank: Open for in-person services Mon-Thurs from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Located outside the Ortega side of the University Center, facing the lagoon. Available for registered UCSB undergrad and grad students. 

St. George's Youth Center Grocery Distribution: **Services are temporarily closed 

Miramar Food Pantry: Open Mon, Tues, Thurs 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. In the Sierra Madre Complex, available to registered UCSB undergrad and grad students.

CALFRESH (COMMUNITY)

CalFresh and Food Security Peer Advisors will still be open in person for Fall 2021. Please see this link for full hours: http://food.ucsb.edu/calfresh. Questions and requests for remote appointments should be sent to UCSBCalFresh@gmail.com.

Learn how to increase your food budgets up to $250 more and help put healthy and nutritious food on your table with an electronic benefit card which allows you to purchase food items at most grocery stores and markets.  

FOOD RESOURCE MAP (COMMUNITY)

Engage with our visual map and discover different resources to purchase groceries on campus, in Isla Vista, and in the surrounding community.

Goleta Farmer's Market: Sundays at Camino Real Marketplace 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Still open during COVID.

GROCERY STORES (COMMUNITY)

ISLA VISTA FOOD CO-OP  

The Isla Vista Food Co-op is Santa Barbara County's only community-owned grocery store. The Co-op was founded over 40 years ago by students and Isla Vistans who wanted to ensure that the community would always have neighborhood access to high quality and affordable food, and that our local farmers and producers would have a dedicated store to sell to. 

food.ucsb.edu/resources/food-nutrition/isla-vista-food-co-op/

 ADDITIONAL COOKING OPTIONS (COMMUNITY)

Take initiative in preparing your own meals!

GARDENS AND FARMS (COMMUNITY) 

Throughout the UCSB campus and in Isla Vista, there are garden and farm plots where community members are invited to have a green thumb growing organic produce, flowers, and herbs. 

SRB KITCHEN RESERVATION (UCSB STUDENTS)

OSL Registered Student Groups or affiliated organizations of Associated Students or the Graduate Students Association may reserve the Student Resource Building's kitchen on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to find out how.

FOOD COUNSELING & ADVISING (Community)

Get advice on how to maximize your nutritional intake on a budget!

PEER ADVISORS ON FOOD SECURITY (UCSB STUDENTS)

The Peer Advisors on Food Security are UCSB students who are aware of the broad variety of basic needs resources that UCSB and the local community have to offer including those focused on food, financial, and housing security.  If you aren't sure what resources are available and/or what resources might be helpful for you, the peer advisors can help point you in the right direction. 

Find hours and more information here: http://food.ucsb.edu/calfresh

NUTRITION COUNSELING (UCSB STUDENTS)

The UCSB Nutrition Counseling program helps students have a healthy relationship with food, learn nutrition fact from fiction, and develop a positive body image.

HEALTH & WELLNESS (UCSB STUDENTS)

The UCSB Health & Wellness Program promotes the mental, physical, and social health of all students by enhancing individual skills and positive relationships with families, peers and the UCSB/Isla Vista community. Through events, workshops, online challenges, and more, Health & Wellness aims to engage and educate students in topics including nutrition, positive body image, stress reduction, sleep, sexual health and relationships, and more.

VENDING MACHINE PROGRAM (COMMUNITY)

The A.S. Community Vending Machine is a prepared food and personal care item distribution machine. This resource is intended to address food insecurity on campus and provide additional basic needs support to students. The A.S. Vending Machine is located in the lobby between the MCC and Associated Students and is available for students to access during operating hours of the building.