As a part of the Buff Undergraduate Success initiative, a new Basic Needs Center has been established within the Division of Student Affairs.
The Basic Needs Center serves as a one-stop support service for students seeking assistance for their essential needs. Located in the University Memorial Center on the fourth floor in room 458, the center provides equitable access to basic needs for students during their time at CU Boulder, and helps them develop skills to navigate local and national emergency needs services.
“A student’s success at CU Boulder can be affected by whether their basic needs are being met or not,” said Hannah Wilks, director of Service Learning and Basic Needs. “We’re proud to launch the Basic Needs Center this semester to help connect students to essential resources when they need them most.”
As a virtual and physical hub of services, the Basic Needs Center will collaborate with on-campus and community partners to serve as a campus care collective.
Food resources
A variety of factors can impact a student’s access to food including their job, expenses, social network and financial resources. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic and increase in cost-of-living expenses has made basic needs services more crucial than ever.
The Basic Needs Center has campus-based programs and community resources to help those experiencing food insecurity—whether you need assistance for everyday needs or in times of crisis. Food resources include the Buff Pantry, Mobile Food Pantries, emergency meal cards, community food banks and more.
Housing resources
There may be unfortunate occurrences during the academic year, like severe weather or natural disasters, that can cause temporary displacement. If you are in need of emergency housing, the Basic Needs Center can provide education on available housing resources and referrals to the appropriate on- or off-campus services.
Accessing the center
A full list of basic needs resources and information can be found on the Basic Needs Center website. Any CU Boulder student needing support can submit a request for resources or email the center at basicneeds@colorado.edu. Staff at the Basic Needs Center will help connect you with the services that best fit your needs.