The UCLA Store Market at Ackerman Union is now accepting CalFresh as part of an effort to address food insecurity on campus.
Federally recognized as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the CalFresh program is intended to supplement the budgets of low-income people to ensure they can purchase nutritious foods, according to the California Department of Social Services. The program consists of monthly electronic food benefits distributed for use in many markets and grocery stores.
Jose Quiroz, UCLA Store Market division manager, said students, including groups from the UCLA CalFresh Initiative and Office of Community Programs, were behind the drive to bring CalFresh to the market, as many students face food insecurity. According to a 2016 survey by the Global Food Initiative at the University of California, about 42% of UC students said they had experienced food insecurity.
The store implemented new inventory and a new point-of-sale — or cash register — system to accept electronic benefit transfers, Quiroz said.
The store has been working for about a year to get the system working properly and avoid stigma issues surrounding CalFresh use, Quiroz said. He added that in the weeks since the store began accepting CalFresh in mid-August, there have been nearly 400 EBT transactions, even with little marketing of the new opportunity.
“I can only imagine…it’s going to blow up,” Quiroz said in a Sept. 22 interview. “I mean, (there have been) 100 transactions a week with nobody on campus at the moment, really. So I guess the student population will welcome it very well, adopt it and use it. That’s all i can hope for.
The market is also open to suggestions for new food inventory, Quiroz said, adding that he is open to considering feedback to ensure diverse cuisines are available and cultures are represented.
Cameryn Tucker, an undeclared sophomore, said she appreciated the CalFresh option at the market and was looking forward to using her EBT to save money by getting meals on campus.
The market will also be a convenient option to avoid going back to the dining halls for meals between classes rather than spending extra money at on-campus restaurants away from the Hill, Tucker said. Having to go to Westwood stores such as Trader Joe’s or Target to use EBT was also inconvenient before, she said.
As a dorm resident, Tucker said she plans to buy food options that don’t require cooking, adding that introducing more produce options to the market could serve to attract students. using EBT.
“I plan on going for salads during the day and stuff like that, but nothing that I really have to cook, but I think they should add more stuff like that in there,” Tucker said.
Diana Tran, a third-year cognitive science student, said she’s been waiting to use EBT on campus since her freshman year.
She said being able to use EBT on campus would be much more convenient and cost effective for grabbing snacks on the way to class. However, other EBT friends hope the store will start offering more products to make grocery shopping easier, she added.
Tran said she expects to buy more from the store now with the new EBT option.
“I see myself going to the market more often,” Tran said. “I’ve already done more this week than I probably did all my time at UCLA.”
Contributing reports by Alexandra Kaiser, editor-in-chief of Campus Politics.
