Raise Your Helping Hand
We operate the CPO Food Closet, the UCLA campus food pantry, and many other basic needs programs. We are looking to combat student hunger by helping the Bruin community get their hands on a meal today.
About Us
Our Philosophy
We believe in a world where every student and member of our campus community has access to healthy, nutritious meals while completing their academic studies. Our mission is to eliminate food insecurity by increasing access to basic needs necessities. We do that by creating basic needs programs and services that are open to all students in need. We believe healthy food should be available to every student, without fear of judgment or second-class treatment.
The Community Programs Office (CPO) — UCLA’s cross cultural center — has supported low-income students for over half a century. One of our key services is the communal food pantry. The goal of our food pantry is to ensure that no student has to sacrifice nutrition while pursuing higher education.
After the 2008 economic collapse, students were faced with financial hardship and difficulty in accessing healthy food and other basic necessities while continuing to pay for their UCLA education. In collaboration with a student leader who noticed his peers were struggling, CPO created the Food Closet in 2009 to address and respond to the food insecurity being experienced on campus. The mission of the Food Closet is to provide a designated space to store and provide food for students, who can take whatever they need from its shelves anonymously.
The CPO Food Closet has come a long way – after launching as a single cabinet with only instant ramen and Campbell’s Soup, we now operate a fully-stocked pantry and additional storage space out of the Student Activities Center with fresh produce, breads, organic canned foods, hygiene products, and much more.
How You Can Help
Send a Donation
Food is the most basic human necessity, yet some students are facing the difficult choice of sacrificing their nutrition as they struggle to pay for their education or deal with other forms of financial hardship. Your donation of any amount will aid with the maintaining and purchasing of fresh produce, canned goods, and toiletries for our Food Closet.
Your support will help the CPO Food Closet ensure that healthy food is available to every student, anonymously, so students can have access to this service without fear of judgment.
Make a donation online here.
Make a donation by check:
UCLA Community Programs Office
Re: Food Closet
Student Activities Center
220 Westwood Plaza, Suite 105
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Checks can be made payable to: UCLA Foundation c/o CPO Food Closet
Please Note: Donors will receive a tax receipt from the UCLA Foundation within a few weeks.
Host a Food Drive
You can get involved today by hosting a food drive with your respective department or organization. By leveraging your network, you will be joining a group of change-makers, a network strong enough to impact positive change in the lives of students and the greater Bruin community.
Testimonials
What People Say
The generosity of this organization makes it possible for me to continue having education opportunities in this difficult area.
Jane Doe
Wonderful job with those kids that need us and people from various places all over the world. I will definitely join your group as a volunteer.
John Doe