The University of Utah’s campus community came together on April 22 to celebrate the Basic Needs Collective’s second birthday. The event highlighted the collection of resources on and off campus that ensure all students feel supported and their basic needs are met.
What is the Basic Needs Collective?
The Basic Needs Collective is a coordinated referral hub that supports students by connecting them to various resources. The organization has a growing database with over 600 resources to help students with employment, food access, internships, community engagement, housing, healthcare and more.
The Basic Needs Collective was founded in 2019 by Kim Hall, Amy Bergerson and Sarah Elizabeth Garza-Levitt with the support of Dr. Lori McDonald, the vice president of student affairs.
Garza-Levitt, co-founder of the Basic Needs Collective and director of basic needs at the U, said the co-founders’ goal was to eliminate barriers in student’s academic, professional and personal success to help them stay in school and graduate.
“We really wanted to work with students early on, kind of from a prevention space,” Garza-Levitt said. “So I would say the Basic Needs Collective was really born out of people here on campus who do care about students and want to help support them.”
The Basic Needs Collective opened its service space in the Union basement on April 22, 2022. Since then, it has served nearly 2,000 students.
Students can connect virtually with the Basic Needs Collective 24/7 on their website. They can fill out a self-service form that addresses nine general needs: food, healthcare, finances, legal, apparel, academics, transportation, housing and childcare. Students can also schedule an appointment to meet with the Basic Needs Collective for a customized resource conversation to find support in navigating individual challenges.
Celebrating Two Years
The Basic Needs Collective’s second birthday party was an opportunity for students and staff to reflect on two years of collective effort in boosting student success.
“That was a really big year,” Garza-Levitt said. “We accomplished a lot. Let’s take a moment to celebrate and reflect. That’s really why the birthday party arose.”
The celebration included free tacos and cake, a free thrift pop-up, cookie decorating, coloring pages, guest speakers and an appearance from the U’s mascot, Swoop.
Associate Vice President for Student Development and Inclusion Bryan Hubain was one of the event’s speakers. He has worked closely with the Basic Needs Collective for the past two years and reflected on the difference that access to necessary resources can make in students’ lives.
“I have seen students about to graduate, and all they need is just a little bit of support. So I’ve seen students graduate, walk across the stage just because they got that support,” Hubain said. “I’ve seen other students who have been in some really rough situations, and we’ve been able to put them in our apartments. And they have now gotten permanent housing.”
The birthday party was made possible with help from student volunteers and LEAP scholars. Kay Strachan, an undecided major at the U, has worked with the Basic Needs Collective for the past year and helped run the celebration. She said in her time volunteering, she has seen the organization grow significantly. The increased demand for its services has helped her to understand the impact of their work.
“It helps make me think of others in a different way because a lot of the time I didn’t think basic needs were an issue,” Strachan said. “It helps me understand better how to set others up for success.”
