At Helping Hands we provide Ocean County College and Kean Ocean students with non-academic support to help them succeed. In the food pantry, we offer snacks, drinks, and meals to students in need. Our office also provides resources for financial assistance, referrals for housing support, and more.
If you or a student you know, needs assistance with basic needs, come by the center located in the Library (Bldg. #3), Room 017, or contact us at HelpingHands@ocean.edu or 732-255-0400 ext. 2205.
Helping Hands accepts donations all year. Please contact Kate Moreno at kmoreno@ocean.edu to schedule a drop-off for all donations. Special arrangements are available for larger donations. Monetary donations can be made online at go.ocean.edu/donate. Please choose “Helping Hands” from the drop-down menu.
During off-hours, donations can be dropped off at the Student Life Box Office located in the Larson Student Center, Building #8.
NEW THIS YEAR – Online Ordering!
Helping Hands is excited to introduce our new software program “PantrySoft”! This program will give students the ability to order food online from home and pick up their order the next time they are on campus.
To create an account on PantrySoft, go to: https://app.pantrysoft.com/login/hhocc
Need help creating an account? Stop by the pantry and staff members will be happy to assist!
Fall Semester Hours
Monday to Thursday: 9:00am – 5:30pm
Friday: 9:00am – 12:00pm
For emergency visits during off hours, please contact the Student Life Office:
Phone: 732-255-0348
Email: helpinghands@ocean.edu
Coffee/Breakfast Bar!
Did you leave your home before grabbing breakfast? Do you need some coffee before class but don’t have the funds needed to purchase one? If so, stop by the Helping Hands Food Panty to get some nourishment before class!
Donating to Helping Hands
- Cheese/Peanut Butter Crackers
- Beef Jerky
- Applesauce Cups/ Pouches
- Pudding/ jello
- Granola Bars
- Pasta
- Soups
- Individually packed nuts/ trail mix
- Fruit snacks
- Canned vegetables/ fruit
- Instant Macaroni & Cheese
- Chips/ pretzels/ goldfish
- Bottled juices/ Gatorade/ Powerade
- Bottled water
- Jarred/ canned pasta sauce
- Cookies
- Crackers
- Oatmeal/ cereal
- Shelf stable milk
- Gas cards
- Grocery store gift cards
- Gift cards
- Plastic forks, spoons, knives
- Napkins
- Disposable plates and bowls
Our pets need care too! We are accepting all types of pet food and supplies!
Upcoming Events & Information
Wednesday, September 28 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Stop by to learn more about the pantry and grab some tasty treats. Sponsored by the OCC Social Work Club!
Monday, October 10 from 11:00am -12:00 pm
Join us at this presentation to learn more about food insecurity, the stigma surrounding it, and ways we can all work together to address the problem.
Clancy Harrison is an internationally-renowned keynote speaker, food equity advocate, founder of the Food Dignity® Movement, TV/media contributor, host of The Food Dignity® Podcast, and registered dietitian. Her wise, heartfelt, and well-researched presentations challenge the judgments that stand in the way of improving everyone’s access to nourishing food. Her message gives rise to refreshingly simple strategies for how audiences can put her ideas for food equity (or what she calls Food Dignity®) into action to create real and lasting change.
Gateway Lecture Hall (Building #101)
Wednesday, October 12 from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Join the Helping Hands Food Pantry at this year’s community resource fair! The Fulfil Mobile Food truck will be on-site along with several OCC departments and off-site organizations. Come learn about the different resources Ocean County has to offer!
Building #3 (Library) Under the Clocktower!
Thursday, October 13 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Help us fill the Student Life van with items to stock the Helping Hands Food Pantry. Items needed include non-perishable food items, bottled water/juices, disposable dinnerware/cutlery, and pet food!
Parking Lot #1 Near the Clock Tower!
Wednesday, October 12 at the Community Resource Fair
The next mobile food pantry visit will be at the Community Resource Fair. In addition to fresh food, options will be available to apply for SNAP benefits. Join us under the Clock Tower!
Location: Parking Lot 1 – Outside of the Library Building #3
Are you struggling with childcare expenses?
Do you want to become a childcare provider or have a friend or family member get paid to provide childcare for your kids?
For more information regarding these services, visit the Children’s Home Society website.
Resources
Student Eligibility
Are you a student, age 18 to 49 enrolled at least half-time in a college, university, community college, or business, technical, trade, or vocational school that requires a high school diploma?
If so, you may be eligible for food assistance through New Jersey’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP is a federal program that can help individuals and families with low incomes buy the groceries they need to eat healthily. Eligibility depends on several factors like income, household size, resources, etc.
In addition to income eligibility factors, students also must fit at least ONE of the following requirements:
- See all requirements on NJ SNAP‘s web page.
- Watch the NJ SNAP application tutorial.
- Fill out the Step by Step NJ SNAP Student Eligibility Verification Form (PDF)
- Read the NJ SNAP FAQs online.
- Screen and Apply (Expect it to take about 20-45 minutes to complete an application. It will take longer to apply than to screen because you will need to provide more detailed income and personal information.)
Balancing location, cost, quality, and just feeling good about the child care provider can make this important decision challenging. New Jersey’s child care program under the Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development can provide you with valuable information to help you make that selection. The state’s child care program can support you with information about applying for child care assistance, where to find child care, licensing and complaint data and what makes a quality program.
Visit the Child Care NJ page to learn more.
NJ Family Care is New Jersey’s publicly funded health insurance program and includes CHIP, Medicaid, and Medicaid expansion populations. That means qualified NJ residents of any age may be eligible for free or low cost health insurance that covers doctor visits, prescriptions, vision, dental care, mental health and substance use services, and hospitalization
For more information, visit the NJ Family Care web page.
Staff
Kate Moreno
Coordinator of Student Basic Needs
kmoreno@ocean.edu
732-255-0400 ext. 2205
Follow Us
Find us on Facebook: @OCCHelpingHands
Or on the Ocean County College app: “Helping Hands”