‘A Space Built on Compassion, Dignity, and Support’

Jodiefoss Ramos didn’t know where to turn.

“As a student funding my education entirely on my own, I faced significant challenges at the start of last semester,” she said Tuesday.

A junior nursing major and cadet in the Rutgers Air Force ROTC program, Ramos was one of seven speakers Tuesday morning who addressed more than 100 gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Rutgers Basic Needs Center in the College Avenue Campus Student Center.

Unable to afford a meal plan and ineligible for food stamps, Ramos said, “I found myself skipping meals, which left me physically drained and mentally exhausted.”

“Fatigue became a constant battle,” Ramos said. “Without proper nutrition, I struggled to maintain the energy I needed to succeed. My focus began to fade and it became increasingly difficult to keep up.”

She said her discovery of the Rutgers–New Brunswick Food Pantry, the predecessor of the newly opened Rutgers Basic Needs Center, turned her semester around.

“It changed everything for me,” she said. “Being able to visit once a week gave me the relief I needed to regain some balance. It made the world of a difference in helping me push through one of the most difficult times in my life.”

Ramos said additional services now offered by the Basic Needs Center—such as free clothing, housing assistance, and counseling—will be very helpful.

“I am truly excited about the new Basic Needs Center,” she said. “This space is more than just a place to receive food.”

Surveys have shown that Ramos’s experience is far from an isolated case. A survey conducted in December 2022 showed that almost one-third of Rutgers students have experienced food insecurity and more than 7 percent had been homeless at one point within the past year.

From left, Assistant Dean Phillip Smith, Stacey and Brian Reilly, Rutgers–New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway, students Lilly Sousa and Jodiefoss Ramos, Senior Vice Chancellor Salvador B. Mena, and Associate Dean Kerri Willson.

A Team Effort

Rutgers–New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway thanked donors for their contributions and applauded the efforts of many at the university for making the center a reality.

“An excellent university addresses its students’ basic needs, empowering them to pursue their academic journeys and achieve their highest goals,” Conway said. “With the Rutgers–New Brunswick Academic Master Plan we are implementing real-world strategies that matter to students.”

The new Basic Needs Center would not be possible without the support of donors, including Rutgers alumni Brian and Stacey Reilly, who have given generously to the project.

“There are many things that can become obstacles to a successful academic experience,” said Stacey Reilly, a 1980 graduate of Rutgers Douglass College. “This center, with its resources focused on helping our students deal with those obstacles in a thoughtful and dignified manner, is one way we can better ensure the success of our students and allow them to focus on their education.”

Brian Reilly, a 1980 graduate of the Rutgers School of Engineering who was inducted in the university’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2022, said the center fits perfectly with their goals in supporting the university.

“Almost everything we’ve done as far as engagement with Rutgers has had the academic interests of the students as its focus,” he said. “We're proud that we can be a part of such a meaningful addition to the Rutgers student support structure.”

Additional alumni donors recognized Tuesday included Robert RC’69 and Harriett Druskin, and Don RC’69 and Penny DC’70 Pray.

Lavinia Boxill, senior vice president for development for the Rutgers University Foundation, thanked all donors to the program, and encouraged more to consider supporting the Basic Needs Center.

“This is a community problem and we invite all of you to help us solve this,” Boxill said. “We are partners and it absolutely takes a village to do this critical work of supporting our students.”

Fulfilling Student Needs

Salvador Mena, senior vice chancellor for the student experience, said the Basic Needs Center goes beyond addressing food insecurity to include housing instability, financial hardship, unexpected emergencies, and access to essential resources.

“It is a space built on compassion, dignity, and support, ensuring that no student at Rutgers has to choose between paying for a meal or purchasing a textbook or between keeping a roof over their head or staying enrolled in their classes,” Mena said.

Kerri Willson, associate dean of students, director of off-campus and community initiatives who led the establishment of the New Brunswick food pantry that first opened on campus in 2016, said the increase in its usage has been exponential. For example, in October 2018, there were 174 visits to the food pantry; in October 2024 there were 1,336 visits—a usage increase of 86 percent.

“Awareness of the food pantry has increased and so have our efforts to reduce the stigma associated with asking for help,” Willson said. “We want to normalize help seeking, but not ever normalize the issue of food insecurity.”

Willson said her office partners and shares data with food pantries and service providers at Rutgers–Newark, Rutgers–Camden, and Rutgers Health, as well as other organizations fighting hunger. “We've forged relationships with partners across the city and at other colleges and universities in the state to share best practices,” Willson said.

Lilly Sousa, an accounting major who serves on the Rutgers University Student Assembly, said her parents were first-generation college students who gave her an understanding of the financial and personal sacrifices many students have to make while pursuing their education.

“This center has the potential to alleviate many of the burdens that prevent students from fully focusing on their education,” Sousa said.

Phillip Smith, assistant dean of students for Student Basic Needs, served as emcee of the presentation and welcomed visitors to tour the center.

“Your presence here today is a testament to the collective commitment we share in supporting the well-being and success of our students,” Smith said. “The establishment of the Basic Needs Center marks a significant milestone and ongoing efforts to ensure that every student at Rutgers has access to essential resources they need to thrive academically and personally.”

To learn more about the Basic Needs Center, visit the web page. For questions, contact Meera M. Ananth, senior director of development, at meera.ananth@rutgersfoundation.org or 908-930-1961, or Jessica G. Ortiz, associate director of development, at jessica.ortiz@rutgersfoundation.org or 848-932-2850.