Office of Basic Needs (Hartnell College)At — Hartnell College
Looking for a meaningful service-learning experience where you can make a direct impact in the Salinas Valley? Hartnell College’s Office of Basic Needs invites CSUMB students to serve alongside us in supporting a diverse community of primarily Latinx, first-generation, low-income, adult, and Spanish-speaking college students.
Through our SOUL Center and El Mercado, we help students address barriers related to food, housing, transportation, health and hygiene, mental health, childcare, and technology. Service-learning students can gain hands-on experience supporting food distributions, student outreach, community resource events, bilingual engagement, and connecting students with essential resources.
This is more than volunteering—it is an opportunity to learn directly from the community, better understand the challenges affecting college students and their families, and see how culturally responsive support can strengthen educational success.
Serve locally. Build meaningful connections. Help Hartnell students meet their basic needs so they can focus on achieving their educational goals.
Reserved for Mireya Galvan and 1 other service learner.
Service-learning students will receive an orientation and ongoing training from Hartnell College’s Office of Basic Needs staff to ensure they feel prepared and supported throughout their placement.
Training will include an overview of Hartnell College and the students we serve; the seven areas of Basic Needs support; SOUL Center and El Mercado services; student eligibility and referral processes; confidentiality, FERPA, and professional boundaries; culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches to student support; and effective communication with diverse, multilingual, adult, first-generation, and Spanish-speaking students.
Students will also receive hands-on training specific to their assigned activities, which may include El Mercado operations and food distribution, student outreach, resource navigation, bilingual engagement, special events, and connecting students to campus and community resources.
Opportunity Supervision
Service-learning students will receive ongoing support and supervision from Hartnell College Basic Needs staff throughout their placement. Students will have a designated staff member who will provide guidance, clarify responsibilities, answer questions, and ensure they are comfortable with their assigned activities.
Students will work alongside Basic Needs staff during their service hours rather than independently, allowing for real-time coaching, feedback, and mentorship. Regular check-ins will provide opportunities to discuss their experiences, address challenges, reflect on what they are learning, and make connections between their service and academic coursework.
As students become more familiar with our programs and community, they may take on additional responsibilities based on their interests, strengths, language skills, and learning goals. Our goal is to provide a supportive environment where students can contribute meaningfully to our work while developing professional skills and a deeper understanding of the diverse students and families we serve throughout the Salinas Valley.
N/A: Depending on our College HR office, SL students may be required to do a background/ fingerprint test, but those costs are incurred by our college.
Contact:
Miriam Gonzalez-Vazquez, Program Coordinator
mvazquez@hartnell.edu
Mario Flores, Director of Student Success & Retention
mario.flores@hartnell.edu
Attach your resume & course syllabus, and why is it that you would like to conduct your Service Learning at our site. Depending on the # of interested students, we may have to conduct interviews.