The WSU Women*s Center held an open house yesterday afternoon to welcome students and discuss plans for the upcoming year.

The Women*s Center wants students to know it is a safe and inclusive environment on campus that focuses on outreach. The center is open for everyone regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

“We want to make sure we’re staying connected,” program coordinator Jennifer Murray said. “We pride ourselves in being as inclusive and expansive as possible.”

The staff and volunteers try to create a friendly and helpful atmosphere, and help students with any questions about what the center has to offer, as well as, the center itself, one staff member said.

“Everyone is welcome,” Kayley DeLong, Women*s Center program assistant said. “We’re a really collaborative space. There’s always at least one to two people willing to help you if you have an idea for a project.”

Many attendees and staff said their favorite part about the center is Rosario’s Place, a food and clothing bank available to all students. They said they are proud to be able to offer valuable and much needed resources to the WSU community.

“Rosario’s place is such a good and needed resource. [It is] completely free for anyone that wants to grab some food,” Zoey Ramberg, an assistant at the center, said.

Some items available at the bank are canned foods, baby food, formula and clothes, as well as toys and diapers.

“We want everyone to use the food bank,” student volunteer Emily Keister said. “We don’t ask for names or reasons because we’re not trying to take away anyone’s pride.”

The center is also open for studying and socializing and offers other resources aside from food and clothes. Free condoms, lube, tampons and pads are also available to take.

“We want people to know they can come by and make themselves some ramen, eat a bowl of soup or just hang out,” DeLong said.

The asterisk is included in the logo to let everyone know they are welcome, Murray said.

“It is a category that can be defined in a lot of different ways,” she said. “It’s a women’s center, but the asterisk is our way of saying there’s more to this story. We welcome anyone of any gender. We respect everyone who walks in for who they are, and we want people to feel like they can come in here.”

The Women*s Center is located in Room 8 of Wilson-Short Hall.