Basic Needs Center

Welcome to the Basic Needs Center at Berkeley City College!

The Basic Needs Center aims to provide services and resources to remove barriers and empower students to persist and thrive towards success. We are virtual and physical hubs of resources, where students can find support in having their essential needs met.

FALL FOOD PANTRY

Free produce and select grocery items are available every Thursday.

EVERYONE must bring a VALID STUDENT ID with Fall 2024 sticker AND re-usable bag.

The Basic Needs Center partners with the Berkeley Food Network who provides produce from the Berkeley Bowl and items from the Alameda County Food Bank.

Pick-up Hours: 12:00pm-3:00pm
Location: Atrium (basement level)

FALL 2024 HOURS – BASIC NEEDS CENTER

Students can visit the center a week for free clothes, hygiene items, and food. Students can also drop-in to receive support with their CalFresh application and off campus resources.

Fall 2024 HOURS

Mon • 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Tues • 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Wed • 10:00AM – 12:30PM & 1:30PM – 5:00PM
Thurs • 3:30PM – 5:00PM
Fri • 10:00AM – 3:00PM

Location: Basement Room 015

All flyers and additional resources can be found in this Google Drive folder.

FOOD RESOURCES

A list of community food resources in or near Berkeley is available by clicking this link.
Alameda County Community Food Bank – Get referrals for groceries or hot meals now: Call the helpline at 510-635-3663, or visit https://foodnow.net/
CalFresh – Apply for an EBT card in 10 minutes: https://www.getcalfresh.org/s/berkeleycitycollege

HOUSING RESOURCES

A list of housing resources is available by clicking this link.

TRANSPORTATION

Did you know that you are eligible for a AC Transit Bus Pass if you are an in-state student enrolled in at least six units at Peralta? Please note that it will take 10 business days for your AC Transit Card to arrive at our Cashier’s Office. For more information, please head over to https://www.peralta.edu/easypass

BCC students must have a valid student ID with photo in order to pick up passes from the Cashier’s Office. It is located on the first floor of BCC, to the left of Admissions and Records. The Cashier’s Office is open 9AM-4PM on weekdays.
The Basic Needs Center does not oversee this service. Questions can be directly asked to the bursar/cashier’s office at BCC-Bursar@peralta.edu or (510) 981-2842

RESOURCES FOR PAYING BILLS

A financial resources is available by clicking this link.

MEDICAL RESOURCES

The Peralta Health Services College Based clinics are currently closed; however, through the Peralta District is partnered with Roots Clinic. Services provided for Peralta students can be found by clicking this link.

Additional medical and community resources (not affiliated to the Peralta Community College District or Berkeley City College):

MediCAL – Apply for health insurance: coveredca.com
Berkeley Free Clinic – Services include vision and dental work. https://www.berkeleyfreeclinic.org/
Free and low-cost clinics in Alameda County can be found on the directory linked here

Berkeley’s Specialized Care Unit is the first non-police crisis response team in the city. The contact number is 510-948-0075. This program is free to anyone in Berkeley who is experiencing common crisis symptoms and will not be routed through the city’s emergency dispatch center. 911 will be called by the SCU if an emergency develops. Team members will be peer specialists, behavioral health clinicians and EMTs. For other city-specific mobile crisis teams, check out our website’s Resources section.

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

First 5 California – California’s Parenting Website: https://www.first5california.com/
Dial 2-1-1 or visit http://211alamedacounty.org/ for help with Health, Housing, and Human Services in your area.
BCC has a nursing / lactation pod on campus. It is located on the first floor in front of the Learning Resource Center (LRC). See this post for more information.