Students who qualify for food assistance cannot use their benefits at campus restaurants.

Currently, the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card is not accepted at El Cappuccino and Café Camino, operated by Pacific Dining, the food vendor for the two campus dining locations.

El Camino’s Basic Needs program helps low-income students and families enroll in CalFresh Food assistance. However, students must go off campus to use their benefits.

CalFresh Food benefits are accepted at most well-known grocery stores and some farmers’ markets. CalFresh Food beneficiaries can receive up to $200 in an EBT card to use for groceries, snacks and pre-prepared meals.

Pacific Dining President Richard McMahon declined an in-person or phone interview because their “policy is to only respond to written requests.”

The Union’s official policy is to only engage in interviews in person or over a phone/Zoom call. Reporters are to refrain from text and email interviews.

McMahon did say in an email statement that Pacific Dining is hoping to complete the process to accept EBT by the start of the fall semester.

Henna Jivraj, a student worker at the Basic Needs Center and a recipient of CalFresh Food benefits said the Warrior Pantry is an alternative for students to get food due to EBT not being accepted on campus.

“Since EBT is not used on campus, the pantry is one spot where students have access to a lot of fruits, vegetables, snacks, drinks… all that stuff,” Jivraj said. “We try to supplement with students and as long as you are a student enrolled in classes you can get snacks.”

Psychology major Janet Carraman has monthly food assistance of $400 from CalFresh EBT. She said receiving EBT was a relief because the food provided by Warrior Pantry was not sufficient for a student parent with children like herself.

Moreover, Carraman said being able to use EBT on campus will alleviate some stress caused by food insecurity so she can focus on her education.

Carraman uses her EBT at several stores near El Camino College, including Smart & Final, Northgate Markets, Target and 7-Eleven.

Financial Aid and Basic Needs Assistant Director David Brown said during the process of requesting proposals from food vendors the college asked Pacific Dining about EBT being accepted on campus. That was in 2018.

“They said that they were currently in the process of getting that approved and this was prior to the pandemic,” Brown said. “And ever since then we still haven’t seen it actually pan out.”

Furthermore, Brown and his department are trying to bring Everytable’s vending machine on campus to accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher, keto and halal diets.

Everytable is a food vendor whose mission is to make fresh, nutritious food more accessible by providing pre-packaged meals at a discounted price in low-income areas.

Strategic Partnerships Manager for Everytable Tracy Luu said their select stores accept EBT through the Restaurant Meal Program but not the vending machines.

Everytable serves students in nearby schools including CSU Dominguez Hills, Santa Monica College and Compton College.

In comparison, Compton College offers multiple affordable food options on campus.

Among those options is the Tartar Pantry which is similar to the Warrior Pantry, but available Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon, and 3-5:30 p.m.

Compton College offers a free meal for every student and staff through its contract with Everytable, which caters the restaurant on campus.

Compton College’s community relations director Heather Parnock confirmed in an email to The Union that their contract with Everytable was extended for students to get one free meal per day “through the 2023-2024 academic year.”

For employees at Compton College, the free daily meals end June 30.

Parnock also confirmed that the Everytable Cafeteria would start to accept EBT at the end of this current semester.

In addition to Everytable, Compton College has a partnership with Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles that results in a weekly farmer’s market hosted at the campus on Wednesdays, from 3-7 p.m.

Brown said El Camino College’s Basic Needs including the Warrior Pantry are working to expand access to healthy food on campus and CalFresh EBT food assistance for students.

“We’re advocating for [students],” Brown said. “We really want to get the best options that are out there available on campus for students to take advantage of.”

Reporter Matheus Trefilio and editor Delfino Camacho contributed to this report.