You may know the Student Basic Needs Center as a place where students in need of help can visit once a week to get some personal hygiene and nutritious food items free of charge, but did you know they can help with more than that? If your struggles with food, housing, transportation and more are weighing on you or preventing you from succeeding in your studies, you can visit with experts to help you explore your options.

The Student Basic Needs Center (SBNC) is located in GEB 153, next to the game room. It’s open all weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Wednesdays, when it’s open an hour longer. If you visit, you can receive tips for free insurance, borrow a laptop and Wi-Fi hotspot for the semester, and even get tips for how to access legal assistance.  

We all need a little bit of help sometimes, but if you find yourself in a place where you don’t need it, you may want to consider helping others. You can donate money to help other students with past due utility and medical bills through the JCCC website. If you want to help in an even easier way, you can donate nonperishable food items like cereal, canned goods, and ramen by placing the items in the bin outside the SBNC.  

If something in your life is holding you back from your education, be sure to visit the SBNC to pick up some pamphlets and chat with people who work there. 

“[My] favorite part about working at the SBNC is the people that I work with [and] positive energy that we are surrounded by in the office,” Stefan Jankovic, a Student Life ambassador who volunteers at SBNC, said. 

He thinks it’s important for everyone to understand that the SBNC should be easily accessible for all. “We are here to help anytime in-person or online students,” Jankovic said. “Students should also know that they should not hesitate to ask for help.” 

You can contact SBNC by visiting the SBNC page on the JCCC website, or email them at basicneeds@jccc.edu.