麻豆传媒

Food Assistance Resources

All students, regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin, who are interested in Basic Needs resources are welcome.

  • CalFresh (federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program or SNAP) offers ongoing support for healthy, nutritious food providing up to $292 each month to use at participating grocery stores and farmers markets.

    CalFresh Eligibility Flow Chart (, 356KB)

    THE APPLICATION PROCESS:

    Step 1: Visit us during our drop-in hours for any questions you may have or to apply with support from our Basic Needs staff. Fall 2025 drop-in hours will be posted in August 2025. We currently do not offer drop-in hours during summer and winter breaks.

    Contact us at (805) 437-2067 or at basicneeds@csuci.edu

    Step 2: Start by completing the CalFresh Eligibility Pre-Screening Form (Coming Soon!) to see if you might qualify for benefits. This quick form helps determine your potential eligibility and is a great first step before applying.

    Step 3:If the screening suggests you may be eligible, the next step is to submit a CalFresh application either on your own time or with support ofthe CalFresh Team. You can get assistance via Zoom, or during Dolphin Pantry drop-in hours. While the application is available online, we strongly encourage you to apply with our team. We are familiar with the processand can help you complete the application faster and more accurately. 

    Once 测辞耻鈥檙别 approved and receiving benefits, we will send you a follow-up email within 6 months to ensure that you continue to receive CalFresh benefits without any issues (see Step 6 below).  

    Step 4:Once the application is submitted, your 30-day application period begins.

    Step 5: Within 30 days of submitting your application, you will be required to complete a phone interview with a representative from the Ventura County Department of Social Services. During this time, you will need tosubmitverification documents. These may include proof of income, housing costs, and other necessary paperwork to confirm your eligibility.  

    Our CalFresh Team can help you prepare foryourinterview and ensure you have all the required documents ready to go. 

    THE INTERVIEW: 

    • Complete your phone INTERVIEW with the Ventura County Department of Social Services (The county will either call or mail you a notice with the date and time of your scheduled interview. 
    • 顿辞苍鈥檛 miss the call! Pick up the phone to unknown numbers for the next several days as it might be the Department of Social Services. If you do miss the interview, call the Department of Social Services right away and speak with your case worker about rescheduling the appointment, leave your first and last name with the best phone number to reach you. 
    • If you 诲辞苍鈥檛 hear back from the County within 10 days of submitting your application, please reach out to the CalFresh Team by emailing basicneeds@csuci.edu so we can help you follow up.

    VERIFICATION DOCUMENTS: 

    You will be required to provide verification documents to your county office. This must also be completed during the 30-day period. Your application will not be approved if you do not submit verification documents that meet their requirements.Below are the most commonly required documents.

    • Copy of Identification
    • Pay Stubs
    • Financial Aid Award Letter and Course Schedule (if a student) 

    Step 6: In about 6 months after receiving your benefits, in order to keep the benefits coming to your EBT card, you will be required to do the following: 

    • Complete a Semiannual Report (called a SAR 7 Eligibility Report) 6 months after your initial application is approved. The County will let you know when this is due and, if we help you apply, our CalFresh Team will send out an email with a reminder to submit the Semiannual Report.  
    • Complete a Recertification Application and be interviewed before the end of your certification period. The County will let you know when your Recertification Application is due and will send you a letter confirming the time and date of your interview. Most interviews will be conducted over the phone. 

    SAR 7 DOCUMENTATION: 

    Documents You Need to Have for the CalFresh Application 
    All CalFresh applicants must submit verification documents. Typical student verification documents include: 

    • Proof of Identity 
    • Earned/Unearned income
    • Financial Aid/Work Study Award
    • Proof of Enrollment or Course Registration
    • Meal Plan Contract (if applicable)
    • Housing and Utility Costs 

    For a list of 麻豆传媒 programs that qualify for a CalFresh student exception, visit the . This list can help determine if your academic program makes you eligible for CalFresh benefits.  

    If you need help completing your application, you can schedule a CalFresh assistance appointment with the CalFresh Team, email us at basicneeds@csuci.edu to set up a zoom meeting. The Basic Needs Program is here to support you!  

  • The CSU Channel Islands Dolphin Pantry exists to provide immediate food, toiletries and basic necessities at no cost to students in need. The goal of the Dolphin Pantry is to decrease the impact that food and hygiene insecurities have on the academic success of students and to alleviate hunger within our student community. The Dolphin Pantry is located in Arroyo Hall room 115.

    Dolphin Pantry Hours (May 19 - August 20)*
    • Monday: 1 to 4 p.m.
    • Tuesday: 1 to 4 p.m.
    • Wednesday: 1 to 4 p.m.

    *or by appointment, email basicneeds@csuci.edu

    Students may retrieve up to eleven items per day. Hygiene and limited cleaning supplies are available upon request for students only.

    Donations to the Dolphin Pantry are being accepted, please email basicneeds@csuci.edu to coordinate the donation. To financially contribute to the Pantry please visit Help a Student in Need section.

  • The Basic Needs Program has dining cards loaded with two or more meals for Islands Caf茅. These cards are available for students to provide access to hot meals. If you are experiencing food insecurity and lack access to a kitchen, or if you encounter a student that may be in need of a hot meal, please complete a self-referral form, community referral form (found on our landing page), or email basicneeds@csuci.edu so we can assess what resources we can offer and provide one or more hot meal cards to those eligible.
  • The Basic Needs Program offers nutrition education and basic cooking skills workshops on campus to CI students. Programming efforts from the Healthy Living Program include Harvest of the Month Farmer's Markets, Action Days such as Rethink your Drink or Healthy Snack Day, and in person or virtual cooking classes where students learn to prepare one or more recipes and then get to enjoy the items they have prepared. Past workshops have included microwave cooking, blender cooking, safe cooking temperatures for meat, and more. The Healthy Living Program also collaborates with campus partners on the campus garden and Ekho Bites Food Alert Program. To request a Healthy Living workshop for your class or group, please email Basic Needs at basicneeds@csuci.edu. 

  • CI students can access prepared food left over from campus events and activities via the Ekho Bites Food Alert Program. To sign up, download the goCI app from the App Store or the Play Store.

    1. Once you have downloaded the goCI app, open it and log in to your student account.
    2. From the front page select "More Services" and then select Ekho Bites from the drop down menu. 
    3. A new page will open, describing the Ekho Bites Food Alert Program.
    4. Read the description and then select either 鈥淎bout Opting in鈥 for more information or 鈥淥pt in to Ekho Bites鈥.
    5. A new page will open with a short description of the Ekho Bites Food Alert Program and a plus (+) sign on the right of the page. Select the plus sign to complete the opt in process.
    6. That鈥檚 it! You are now signed up to receive push notifications regarding prepared food left over from campus events and activities.
    7. To opt out of Ekho Bites Food Alerts, return to the page with the plus (+) sign following the above steps. You will see a minus (-) sign next to the program description. Select the minus sign to complete the opt out process.

Additional Resources

Local Food Pantry 鈥
Farmers鈥 Markets 鈥
Free Recipe Book 鈥 (, 7MB)

For additional information, please contact the Dolphin Pantry at 805-437-2067 or basicneeds@csuci.edu.

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