Page 24 - Basic Needs Center News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Private donations to UC Berkeley increase amid COVID-19 pandemic David McAllister/Staff During the difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in private donations to UC Berkeley. The funding includes private donations to campus departments, private donors to fund campus and "record-breaking" fundraising. Amid the ebb and flow of private funding that occurs every year, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in private donations to UC Berkeley to support the campus community. Donations tend to increase when people are inspired to do so, which oc...

Equity-focused COVID-19 relief funding to be distributed to students Ireland Wagner/File UC Berkeley received $15 million in direct-to-student funding for undergraduate and graduate students through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. Actively enrolled citizens and eligible non-citizens who have filed their FAFSAs are eligible for grants. Last Updated 4 hours Ago Through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, or CRRSAA, UC Berkeley received $15 million in direct-to-student funding for undergraduate and graduate students. The fundi...

An approximately yearlong rent strike led by residents of University Village in Albany, or UVA, is continuing to push for rent forgiveness in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since April 2020, the UVA Tenants Union has been coordinating the rent strike as part of its campaign for the cancellation of rent payments, according to the UVA Tenants Union website. A survey conducted by the UVA Tenants Union in April found that about 95% of UVA residents were rent-burdened, meaning they were spending more than 30% of their income on rent, and more than 85% of residents said their ability to afford ren...

For UC Berkeley freshman Luke Wonzen, what started as an attempt to find a hangout spot outside with a friend during a pandemic became an experience that “really highlighted the life cycle of the food” — that is, volunteering at Berkeley Student Farms, or BSF. BSF is a coalition of seven student-run garden spaces on campus that prioritizes food sovereignty and security, according to BSF volunteer Gabrielle Cohen. Before the pandemic, a large portion of the campus population was food insecure and used services provided by the Basic Needs Center. As the pandemic exacerbated such insecurit...

Making CalFresh information, eligibility more accessible to graduate students Last Updated February 24, 2021 Reflecting on my first year at UC Berkeley in 2018 as a transfer, first generation college student, and daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, I wish information about basic needs resources had been more accessible to me. Like many students, I ended up having to seek out those resources on my own. As a current graduate student, I am aware of the importance of having basic needs met not only in order to have good health and well-being but also to excel in academics. Multiple generations...