PARKVILLE, Mo. — In a response to help its students struggling with food insecurity, Park University will open its first food pantry on campus.
It is called the Pirate Pantry, and it has several non-perishables and personal care items for students and their families.
Park University officials said many of their students struggled to get the resources they needed.
About a year ago, the University did an assessment and found that one in five students who responded to the survey struggled with food insecurity.
That’s when they decided to open a pantry where students can come get essential items.
“Especially in education, we believe in that hierarchy of needs: how are they going to perform in the classroom, or perform in sports or those extracurriculars that we know are important, if they're sitting there hungry and not knowing when they're going to eat lunch, when they're going to eat dinner?” Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Jayme Uden said. “That's a lot more important, the food, the shelter, than anything else that we can provide.”
Students who visit the pantry will have a three day supply of food. The pantry is solely funded through donations.
For information on how to volunteer or donate, click here.
