Merritt College Emergency Aid Program: 

Project Success (ECMC) Emergency Funds
Grant Amount: up to $500.00*(limit over the life of the program)

Purpose: to assist students in dealing with unforeseen financial emergencies that, if not quickly resolved, could cause students to drop out of school.

How to Apply:

• Complete the online Project Success Application by logging into the application portal: https://app.bybeam.co/merritt/identity/signin
• Submit supporting documentation in the online Project Success Application

Eligibility Requirements:

• Be enrolled part-time or full-time in a certificate, associate or bachelor’s degree program at the time of the aid request. Graduate students are not eligible.
• Have a GPA of 2.0 or greater at the time of application approval.
• Complete the online application provided by ECMC and upload supporting documentation of the financial need (i.e., required uninsured medical treatment, automotive repair estimate, documented notice of unexpected change in housing or utilities expense).
• Complete the required financial education courses through ECMC’s financial literacy platform, ECMC Learning.
• Benefit from having an expense paid with emergency aid through this program, not to exceed $500 during the life of the aid program.
• Be entitled to use of the emergency aid funds with no expectation of repayment.
• The emergency must be recent, documented, and due to an unforeseen circumstance.
• This is a federally funded grant and approved applicants must meet the criteria for consideration

Please note, your request for Emergency Support will not be processed until a receipt, supporting document, estimate or bill is provided. Completion of the application is not a guarantee you will be awarded

Panther Produce Pantry 

Summer 2025 Pantry Dates

Need additional food access support during the summer? Apply for our Basic Needs Center Emergency Food Grant 

Alameda County Food Pantry & Hot Meal Distribution Sites can be found @ https://www.foodnow.net/

Contact the Alameda Community Food Bank Helpline at (510) 635 3663

Apply for CalFresh Online @ https://benefitscal.com/Public/login!

What is Calresh?

CalFresh, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides monthly assistance for low or no income individuals and families to purchase nutritious food. The CalFresh program issues monthly benefits on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, similar to an ATM card, to purchase food at retail stores and farmers markets that accept EBT cards

Here are some CalFresh FAQs 

A CalFresh household includes anyone living together who regularly purchases and prepares meals together. The CalFresh benefit amount is dependent on household size, income, and expenses. Most households must have a total gross monthly income less than or equal to 200% of the federal poverty level, to be potentially eligible for CalFresh.

(CalFresh benefit table effective 10/1/2024 - 9/30/2025) 

Table found on https://www.alamedacountysocialservices.org/our-services/Health-and-Food/CalFresh/tabs/CalFresh-Eligibility 

Oakland Public Library is offering Lunch at the Library again for 2025. Free lunch will be available for youth ages 18 and under, weekdays from May 27 through Aug. 1, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Lunch will not be served on June 19 (Juneteenth) and July 4 (Independence Day).

Participating library branches are:

• 81st Avenue
• César E. Chávez
• Eastmont
• Elmhurst
• Main Library
• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Melrose

A list of housing resources is available in our Basic Needs Housing Resource guide. You can access it by clicking this link.

For urgent housing needs call 2-1-1 

More information below:

Building Futures/211/Operation Dignity

Contact Building Futures at 866-A-WAY-OUT (24 HOUR TOLL FREE CRISIS LINE) or Call 2-1-1 For the same intake The 24 hours, 7 days a week resource for those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness is to call 2-1-1.

Staff there have the most in-depth knowledge of available resources, shelter locations, and available housing applications. There are a number of resources countywide that can be accessed by calling 2-1-1 or visiting their website at http://211alamedacounty.org/.

Mobile Outreach Non-profit organizations Operation Dignity and Building Futures provide basic necessities to those experiencing homelessness while working on stabilizing their situation and helping them to find housing.

Looking for an affordable and furnished room in the heart of downtown Oakland? 

Check out The Brooklyn!

Dine and Connect

Dine and Connect Held on the last Monday of each month, dinners lead by Alameda’s faith based community provide more than just a warm meal to those experiencing homelessness. Alongside dinner, this program connects individuals to services and resources and fosters community with an opportunity for individuals to meet, talk, and connect.

Location: Immanuel Lutheran Church 1420 Lafayette St. Alameda, CA (click to view contact info)

Covia Home Match

East Bay Community Law Center’s Free Immigration Legal Services

To schedule a virtual appointment with the East Bay Community Law Center, click here.

Centro Legal de La Raza: https://www.centrolegal.org/ 

Eviction Defense Center: https://www.evictiondefensecenteroakland.org/ 

Just Cause/Causa Justa: https://cjjc.org/ 

Oakland Lawyers In the Library: https://oaklandlibrary.org/lawyers-in-the-library/

Did you know that you are eligible for a AC Transit Bus Pass if you are an in-state student enrolled in at least six units at Peralta? Please note that it will take 10 business days for your AC Transit Card to arrive at our Cashier’s Office. For more information, please head over to https://www.peralta.edu/easypass

AC Transit	Marin Transit	SMART
BART	Muni	SolTrans
Caltrain	Napa VINE	Sonoma County Transit
City Coach	Petaluma Transit	Tri Delta Transit
County Connection	SamTrans	Union City Transit
FAST	San Francisco Bay Ferry	VTA
Golden Gate Transit and Ferry	Santa Rosa CityBus	WestCAT
		Wheels

The Peralta Community College District (PCCD) Student Health Clinic offers accessible healthcare services to students at Laney College. The clinic offers both in-person and telehealth appointments to meet a variety of healthcare needs.

Clinic Location
Laney College Student Center, 4th Floor, Room 410
900 Fallon Street, Oakland, CA 94606

To Schedule an Appointment
Call: 510-464-3134
Email: PCCDHealthClinic@peralta.edu

Clinic Hours
Monday – Friday |  8:30am – 4:30pm

Alameda Health System mobile services comes to Oakland Main Library the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 10 am - 3:30 PM. Free primary and urgent care, vaccinations, and financial counseling.

Address: