Get To Know Our Staff!

Name: Anne

Pronouns: she/her/hers

HSRC Job Title: SNAP Outreach Liaison

Major/minor: I’m majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Spanish, and a certificate in Food and Culture in Social Justice.

Career Aspirations: There are so many things! Eventually I’d like to pursue a Masters and PhD, and hopefully end up teaching in higher-ed. I’ve always loved teaching and education, and in the meantime, would also love to pursue my passions for food justice and local sustainability through grassroots and non-profit work, in whatever form that might take.

Why did you want to work at the HSRC?: I really wanted to find a place where I could make a real, tangible difference in the world, and try to make it better. The HSRC’s values of abundance and focus on putting students first really stood out to me; the way that students take ownership of the programs and events at the HSRC is really amazing. I love being able to come to a work space and be surrounded by individuals who are committed to pushing back against poverty, racism, sexism, capitalism, and other injustices that are so prevalent in our society.

What will you be working on? I will be working on developing the SNAP Ambassador program, which will aim to get students talking to each other about SNAP benefits, tearing down the stigma surrounding government assistance and educating their peers on what the college student experience might look like for under-resourced students. In addition to that, I will be doing outreach to students we believe might be eligible for SNAP benefits as reported by our Food Assistance Application.

What do you like to do in your free time? I love to read! It’s one of my favorite past-times- when I was in grade school I actually got in trouble for trying to sneakily read under my desk while the teacher was talking. I find myself incredibly busy during the school year, and often unable to do this, but when I have time, I really love cooking more elaborate and complex meals. There’s something really meditative to me about the process of putting together a meal. Even better is when I get to share what I’ve made with others!

What’s your favorite yummy and cheap meal that you like to make?: Fried rice! I almost always have the essentials (in my opinion): eggs, rice, and soy sauce.  After that, if I have any veggies I’ll chop those up and throw ’em in! This is especially good for the veg on its last leg, like when the carrots get a little less crunchy and more bendy, or the bell peppers start to wrinkle. You can make a  bunch in one go if your pan’s big enough, and then have lunch prepped for the whole week. I’ll add different sauces like Sriracha, sweet and sour, General Tso’s, or teriyaki to mix it up throughout the week and keep from getting bored of eating the same thing. If I want a little extra protein, I’ll fry up an egg over medium to put on top, or mix in some cubed tofu.

Do you have any tips for students on how to save money? I love coffee, and especially during the most stressful, busy times of the term, find myself wanting multiple cups per day, but not able to go home to make them. Even if you just get drip coffee, 3 of those in a day equals like $6, which adds up if you do that multiple days in a row! I’ll take a reusable mug and bring in some powdered instant coffee (I think the Trader Joe’s brand is way tastier than Nescafe, though of course straight from the bean is best!) Cafe’s around campus will fill up your mug with hot water, then you can add in your own instant coffee, and add milk and sugar as you like it!

What are you favorite things to do in Corvallis? I love dancing, so almost every week while school is in you can find me doing West Coast Swing at the Women’s Building Wednesday nights.  The monthly event Rainbow in the Clouds (21 over, sorry 😉 ) is also one of my favorite things in Corvallis.

Where is your favorite spot to relax on campus? I love setting up a hammock between two shady trees when the weather is nice. In the winter the MU common space is always a favorite. It has a really cozy atmosphere, especially when they have the fires going!

Which building on campus would you haunt and why if you were a ghost? I’d like to haunt LINC. People expect the older buildings on campus to be haunted, like Waldo, or the Women’s Building, but no one would see it coming from a new one! That building already has occasional tech problems; I’d be happy to contribute to those as a ghost!

Get To Know Our Staff: Salena

Website, Social Media, and Marketing Organizer

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Major/minor: B.A. Sociology w/ Crime & Justice option

Career Aspirations: My ultimate goal is to be an attorney for youth and/or pave the way for major reform within the Justice System, but I think I would be happy in any position where I am able to help and be a viable resource for those seeking assistance.  

Why did you want to work at the HSRC? I wanted to work at the HSRC because of the amazing work that is being done here to help ease the stress of financial barriers that keep students and community members from reaching their full potential. Because I have been on the receiving end of similar services, it is truly rewarding to be able to provide the same assistance and resources to others.

What will you be working on? Over the summer, I have been working on maintaining the Textbook Lending Program. During the academic year, my role is keeping our all of our social media platforms and website up to date with current information, creating fliers and posters for events,  and posting regularly to keep everyone informed about the happenings and events within the HSRC.

What do you like to do in your free time? I am an adventurer at heart. In my free time, I really enjoy taking long drives through the mountains and finding neat places to explore and hike. My absolute favorite place to explore is anywhere along the Oregon coast. When I’m not out and about exploring, I enjoy cuddling up with my pups, Mochi and Buster, and sneaking naps in whenever possible.

What’s your favorite yummy and cheap meal that you like to make? My favorite meal when food and money are low would have to be a hearty pot of soup with whatever I can find in my cupboards! I use whatever meat I have, any kind of canned beans, broth/bullion (or cans of soup), any pasta (usually broken into small pieces), potatoes, and any canned (or fresh!) veggies I have on hand. With a little bit of seasoning, it tastes great regardless of the ingredients! This soup usually makes a huge portion that I’m able to eat daily for a week or freeze and easily eat at another time.

Do you have any tips for students on how to save money? Some of the things I do are: *ALWAYS* comparing prices when shopping. This is a huge one because oftentimes generic items are cheaper, but there are times when the name brands go on sale for even less than the generic. Always get the free membership cards at stores you shop at to save more money. For example, I don’t regularly shop at Safeway, but when I do, I use my club card so that I can earn points for $ off at the Safeway gas station. Students can also save a ton of money by utilizing the Textbook Lending Program, where they can check out their textbooks for FREE for the entire term.

What are you favorite things to do in Corvallis? Corvallis is the perfect place to get outside and connect with nature. I really enjoy exploring McDonald-Dunn forest and all of the great natural areas and parks in the area. There are so many hidden gems and great places to wander.

If you had one wish or chance to use a magic wand, what would you do? If I had a chance to use a magic wand, I definitely would turn myself magical! I’d love to use magic to explore the universe and to help humankind love one another.

What is your favorite movie/band/artist/book/TV show (choose one) and why? My favorite TV show would have to be Game of Thrones or That 70’s Show… They’re completely different ends of the spectrum but they’re great in their own ways. GOT is really nice when I feel like I want to watch something really intense and sort of confusing to keep myself on the edge of my seat, but T70S is just hilarious and I always have a good time watching it.

 

Get To Know Our Staff: Angel

Angel; Graduate Research Assistant

Pronouns: He/Him/His or My name

Major: College Student Services Administration

Career Aspirations

I want to work at a college/university once I graduate with my Master’s. Cultural Centers, Equity & Inclusion Offices and even departments like the HSRC all brought me to this career path, working with students is something I really like doing and being able to do so at in Higher Ed really called to me.

Why did you want to work at the HSRC?

I wanted to work at the HSRC since the first time I heard about the cool resources it has, and knowing that I use them myself, I also wanted to understand the resources I was using better.

What will you be working on?

I will be working with the data that is gathered through the Food Assistance Application to provide information to different departments and campus partners about the work that we are doing here at the HSRC to serve students. In doing this, I hope to show stakeholders about the work that we do here and how much of it impacts students like me who use the services the HSRC provides.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Believe it or not, Pokémon hunting is making its comeback and so that’s what I have found myself doing a lot in my spare time. In addition to that, I really enjoy going to movies and doing some more reading!

What’s your favorite yummy and cheap meal that you like to make?

Angel hair pasta with chicken breast is something that always has a special place in my heart. It goes back to my mom making it for me on cold days or whenever I was sick, so it has a strong connection to home for me.

What are your favorite things to do in Corvallis?

Spending time eating with friends is something I love to do, especially at good restaurants. You never know how intimate a conversation can get with food, it brings out the best in us.

If you had one wish or chance to use a magic wand, what would you do?

Rid the world of its imaginary borders 🙂

Get To Know Our Staff: Linh

Linh, HSRC Intern

Major: Public Health (Health Promotion and Health Behavior)

Career Aspirations

I hope to be able to work with low resource and minority communities to increase access to fresh and healthy food, medical care, and fulfill other basic needs in order to reduce health disparities between social class and race. I truly believe that we as a population can only be as healthy as our weakest components, so I want to be able to help ensure that everyone is provided an equal opportunity to thrive.

 

Why did you want to intern at the HSRC?

My major in Public Health requires an internship, preferably working within an organization relevant to our personal interests and future career goals. The HSRC provides amazing assistance to many students who may be struggling with eating full meals each day, having a safe place to live, having a place to do basic things such as taking a shower or doing laundry, and more! These are the kinds of things that I hope to be able to eventually help other communities access, so that they can live productive and healthy lives without having to worry about these needs that they already deserve simply for being human beings.

 

What will you be working on?

My main project will be focused on the HSRC blog and in curating delicious recipes that can be adapted to use budget friendly ingredients right from our very own Food Pantry.

 

What do you like to do in your free time?

I enjoy spending time with my friends and family when I can, especially taking trips out to the Oregon Coast or up to Portland. I also really enjoy cooking when I have time, mostly because I love to eat! Experimenting with new recipes and new foods is always fun, and I love being able to share my cooking with others.

 

What’s your favorite yummy and cheap meal that you like to make?

It sounds a bit weird but I love to have just white jasmine rice, drizzled with a little bit of soy sauce, and then topped with buttery scrambled eggs and a little bit of pepper. It’s super simple and comforting, and I usually have the ingredients laying around anyway. It’s something that I grew up eating and I could probably eat it any time of the day!

 

What are you favorite things to do in Corvallis?

I like walking around downtown Corvallis and just spending hours wandering through all of the fun shops we have! Plan accordingly though, because most shops in Corvallis close around 5pm. Once in a while, I enjoy eating out in the downtown area. My all time favorite Corvallis restaurant is Koriander, which has amazing Korean fusion food. The Broken Yolk is a must for breakfast, and Benny’s Donuts never disappoints.

 

If you had one wish or chance to use a magic wand, what would you do

Make my student loans ~magically~ disappear (:

“Call CN!”: The Life and Times of an HSRC GTA

By Carmen Wilson

You ever had a tough interaction with your supervisor that makes you think, “I wish my boss would _________”? Rough day at work where you run to the nearest Netflix account with a beverage of choice in hand? I’ve had both those scenarios and then some working at the HSRC. But I can count those moments on one needs-a-manicure-badly-from-stress-induced nail biting hand (post-graduate school job searches are exhausting!). Now that the crappy feelings are out of the way, here’s a bit of a run-down about my experience working at the HSRC.

Why did you decide to work at the HSRC:

I felt good vibes following my interview – and was very curious about the innovative and unique work happening at the HSRC. I was excited by the opportunity to work with students from low-income backgrounds, as I myself have that experience. I thought that working at the HSRC would help me get hands-on applicable theory-to-practice work.

How is office culture?

Staff (pro-staff, grad staff and student staff) share their successes and celebrations, mull and dialogue over how we can enhance the office, express their concerns and emotions in a safe space and brave space environment. Need a mental health day off? Boom, go refill your empty cup. Taking time off for professional development opportunities? Have a blast and share your experience if you feel comfortable. Staff do not have to fear being who they are at the HSRC; every part of your wellness and growth are noticed and nurtured by the whole team.

What was your supervisory experience like at the HSRC?

Supervision under Nicole Hindes, the current and only professional staff member, is a whirlwind experience. You may be thinking, “Is that a good thing? Whirlwinds sounds scary!” Trust me, it is. Nicole holds social and racial justice as top priorities. This plays out in staff members representing diverse identities, in particular hiring from the populations we serve. Authenticity to whatever your comfort level may be is encouraged. As a Black, queer, non-binary first generation person from a low-income background, I was able to show up to work and not fear my identities jeopardizing my job.

What is the work like at the HSRC?

Parlaying into the next topic: space is created to strengthen staff members’ professional voice and know-how. Staff has incredible autonomy over projects. From creation to evaluation, staff’s sense of pride grows exponentially with each successful endeavor they embark on. This showed up in me being the co-chair of the annual Hunger and Houselessness Action Week. Along with my fellow co-chair, we had full autonomy of the events. I also see these traits show up with student workers and student leaders who are pitching in.

What about balancing academics and working at the HSRS?

It is difficult to do- but manageable. I found that communication is key, both with student staff and the rest of the leadership team. I have been able to utilize student development theory (Perry, for example) when supporting student staff in their roles, by identifying their development level and integrating empathy and encouragement into my approach to helping them with their work. In another class, when we had to look at how budgets work, Nicole shared the HSRC budget with transparency and helped me understand challenging concepts because I was able to look at a real budget. Nicole makes space for you to attend classes and get academic development – like going to different events, having time for internship opportunities, etc. I was able to complete two internships, work at the HSRC, other time spent in my class and managing my job search. While doing all this at once was challenging, I was successful – I anticipate starting my next full time job in April.

What is your takeaway?

At the beginning of my GTA experience, it was a challenging transition as I adjusted to some hurdles and setbacks – stemming from both my own transition into the role but also lots of growing pains stemming from the HSRC transitioning in multiple programmatic ways (like our new building, for example).  But as we enhanced our office operations, hired stellar staff, and figured out how to maximize our beautiful new space, I was able to not only find my groove, but find my growth as a GTA. I will carry the skills and experience I gathered from my two years as a GTA for the rest of my professional career. If you are reading this as an future grad student, consider yourself lucky. You have just entered one of the most innovative, transformational offices in student affairs. A great resume builder and interview piece FYI.

The HSRC is recruiting for a Case Manager

We are excited to announce that the Human Services Resource Center (HSRC) at Oregon State University is recruiting for a Case Manager for students in financial crisis. Questions or inquiries about this posting should only be directed to Molly Chambers, search chair – molly.chambers@oregonstate.edu.

 

The Human Services Resource Center is currently seeking a full-time (1.0 FTE) Case Manager at Oregon State University. This position will work in close partnership with the HSRC Assistant Director, serve on the HSRC Leadership Team, and foster relationships with both campus and community partnerships to assist students in accessing resources and solutions for increased retention and student success.  The Case Manager will be responsible for offering case management services using a social justice and equity based framework, in addition to maintaining a database and subsequent reporting processes for HSRC case management. This role will primarily oversee the HSRC Emergency Housing Program and serve as the main point of contact for OSU Corvallis campus students experiencing homelessness as well as students navigating social services in the Corvallis community. Additionally, this position will assist students experiencing financial insecurity through advocacy and partnership with the OSU Financial Aid office and OSU Financial Care Team to help students maximize all of their financial aid options that best serves their needs.

The working, student-facing title for this role will be Basic Needs Navigator.

For more details and to apply online, visit https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/56948

An archived PDF of the position posting can be found at this link: Basic Needs Navigator Position Description Final

Deadline for applications is April 11, 2018.

About the HSRC:

Approximately 10 years ago, a group of OSU students saw the need for additional support for the classmates they saw experiencing housing and food insecurities. These students formally proposed a Human Services Resource Center that would be a one-stop location where students could get their basic needs met. Today, a national leader in this work, the HSRC remains committed to centering the voices of students, empowering and engaging them in college retention solutions and helping students meet their academic goals despite the challenges of being under-resourced.  Essential services provided by the HSRC include the HSRC Food Pantry, the Textbook Lending Program, Food Assistance program, and Emergency Housing resources. The HSRC is part of the suite of programs supported by the Office of Student Life and is almost exclusively student-fee funded. Further information about the HSRC can be found on its website: http://studentlife.oregonstate.edu/hsrc