Nashalie Alvarez, Staff Writer

PHILADELPHIA – Located in the basement of College Hall at La Salle University, the Explorers CARE (Campus Awareness, Resources, and Empowerment) office provides a safety net for students facing various challenges. The program addresses fundamental needs ranging from food insecurity and housing stability to transportation barriers and emotional well-being.

However, many students don’t know this program exists.

Dr. Serita Reels, director of student support and equity, said, “The idea is that in order for students to be successful and to really thrive as a student here at La Salle, they have to have their basic needs met. So, you can’t do as well as you can possibly do if you’re trying to find safe and stable housing, or you don’t have enough money to buy nutritious foods every month.”

A student struggling with food insecurity might be distracted in class, focusing more on when they’ll get their next meal than on studying. Prioritizing when the next meal will come, rather than focusing on what’s being taught, can lower academic performance and cause students to miss learning opportunities. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 18 million U.S. households experienced food insecurity at some point in 2023.

Students can access what benefits they can get help with through a screening called Singlestop. The screening connects students with resources that can combat food insecurity, housing and more, resources such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“The program helped me with the specific needs I had at the time. It provided me with financial assistance for transportation and helped me apply for SNAP, which was a huge help when it became difficult to afford food while in college,” said sophomore Charnae Johnson.

Explorers CARE provides students with individualized support through case management. Students can either walk into the office or email to set up a meeting with a staff member. During the meeting, the staff member and student work together to determine the best way to support the student. The staff member also introduces available resources that may be beneficial.

Staff at La Salle and many who work with Explorers CARE believe that many students are unaware of the resources available to them and may not realize they’re eligible for various forms of support.

“We are doing our best to increase awareness about Explorers CARE. It’s been admittedly a slow process, but we definitely want more students to know about it,” said Reels.

By connecting students with these resources, Explorers CARE helps ensure that students receive the support they need throughout their academic journey at La Salle and beyond.

“The process varied depending on the type of support I needed. When I first applied for transportation assistance in my freshman year, it took some time to reach out and go through the process, but I knew it was necessary to ensure I could get to class on time,” said Johnson. “When I applied for SNAP in my sophomore year, the process was much quicker. The program head was very responsive and helped me complete everything efficiently.”

Among the many services the program offers, they have a student of concern process. It consists of a team of different faculty members at La Salle who can refer certain students to the committee as well as go over the student of concern cases. Multiple faculty members such as the deans of the schools meet on a weekly basis.

“Anybody at La Salle, faculty, staff or student, can file a student of concern report, and we get that information, and we meet weekly as a team about the information that we’re receiving and how we can best support that student,” said Reels.

The Explorers CARE program has had a significant impact on students allowing them to succeed academically.

“I definitely think the program is beneficial,” said Johnson. “Without it, I would have struggled to afford transportation and food, which would have negatively impacted my ability to focus on my studies.”

The program is particularly valuable, because It helps remove barriers to success that some students might encounter, ensuring students can focus on their education.

“There were a lot of times when my friends and I could have used the support of a program like this – especially when it came to accessing materials for classes. We made due with what we had but something like Explorers CARE would’ve been really helpful,” said success coach Igbal Attaelmanan.

While the program has helped students through the years, one area for potential enhancement is increasing awareness of the program. Many students are still unaware of the services available to them, and greater outreach could help ensure that those in need know where to turn for help.

“I think the program should be better advertised so more students know about it. Many students are struggling with transportation, food insecurity, or other financial difficulties, and they might not even be aware that Explorers CARE exists. Hosting events, setting up booths, or sending out more emails about the program could make a big difference,” said Johnson.

Another area where Explorers CARE could see improvement is in staffing assistance. Though the program does not have a lot of traction right now, when it does grow, there may be a need for additional staff to manage the increasing workload. In addition to the lack of sufficient staff, there may also be issues with the funding allocated to support students.

“One of the issues that is really beyond the control of the program is that there are not enough staff members to manage the requests that come in,” said Attaelmanan. “Another challenge that is also beyond the scope of the program is the amount of funding received. It would be great for them to be able to support everyone all the time, but, at this moment, that is not always realistic.”

Students who are interested in learning more about Explorers CARE can contact Reels at reels@lasalle.edu or visit the Explorers CARE website.