Temple University opens Essential Needs Hub offering food, clothing and wellness resources

Temple University has created a new space where students can find food, affordable clothing, wellness support and other essential resources under one roof.

The Essential Needs Hub is located inside the Howard Gittis Student Center. Floor decals guide students to the space, which university leaders say was designed with student input.

"It's a central spot for resources students may need to get through the day," said Jodi Accavallo, Temple's vice president for student affairs.

The university defines essential needs broadly, including food and housing insecurity, emergency transportation and childcare challenges.

"You hear it every day," Accavallo said. "They are taking care of loved ones. They are managing two jobs."

The Barnett-Irvine-Cherry Pantry is part of the hub. Students use a point system to shop for groceries, with healthier items costing fewer points. Staff members can also help students connect with additional resources, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

"Our students have a high need," Accavallo said. "They really want some place to go where they feel seen."

More than 20,000 students have used the hub's services, and about half have returned.

Students also helped determine what the hub would offer.

"They influence everything that's in here," Accavallo said.

The hub includes the Zen Den, a quiet wellness space where students can pause, recharge and even use massage chairs.

"There's a correlation between student success in the classroom and their wellness and well-being outside the classroom," Accavallo said.

Students looking to update their wardrobes can visit Temple Thrift, where every item costs less than $10.

"I'm glad our students feel like they can shop and eat all in the same place," Accavallo said. "We're like a food court for the soul."

Temple is holding the hub's official ribbon-cutting Thursday as the university kicks off its Homecoming weekend.