Uncensored Discussions: October 18, 2018 Edition
Park University Opens Food Pantry for Students Facing Food Insecurity
Park University has opened a food pantry called the "Pirate Pantry" to help students facing food insecurity. Located inside the Intramural and Recreational Fieldhouse (Labor Hall) on the University's Parkville Campus, the pantry is open to any Park University student and is operated by volunteers, primarily graduate students in Park's Master of Social Work program.
Sarah Hopkins-Chery, '07, '09, the women's basketball head coach at the University of California, Merced, was recently recognised by the Merced (Calif.) Sun-Star as a 2018 "20 Under 40" honoree. Hopkins-Chery was featured in the newspaper on Oct. 4.
The Pirate Pantry has been funded completely by donations, including a major gift from North Kansas City Hospital, and food drives conducted by the University, the City of Parkville, Mo., and Northland Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo. Donations of nonperishable food and personal hygiene items are welcome and can be placed in the donation bin outside the Pirate Pantry space in the Fieldhouse, dropped off in the Pirate Pantry on Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., or e-mailed to pantry@our website for large volume donations.
Students who visit the pantry can select a three-day supply of food. Personal hygiene items are also available. The Pirate Pantry is organized in alignment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's ChooseMyPlate.gov, with nonperishable food items divided into proteins, grains, fruits, and vegetables.
In addition to the Pirate Pantry, Park University's women's volleyball team was featured in a story on WDAF-TV in Kansas City on Oct. 9. Players Danna Gomes, Nada Meawad and Maren Roper were interviewed, along with head coach Mike Talamantes.
Financial donations are also accepted for the Pirate Pantry. For more information about the Pirate Pantry and donation options, visit our website or our website-pantry.
The University has also received recognition in various rankings. For instance, Park University received the following rankings from SR Education Group: 2019 Best Online Colleges Offering Bachelor's in Law Enforcement Degrees, No. 1; 2019 Best Online Colleges Offering Bachelor's in Marketing Degrees, No. 2; 2019 Best Online Colleges Offering Bachelor's in Communications Degrees, No. 3; 2019 Best Online Colleges for a Bachelor's Degree in Finance, No. 7; 2019 Most Affordable Online Law Enforcement Degrees, No. 7 (tie); 2019 Most Affordable Homeland Security Degrees Online, No. 10; 2019 Best Online Colleges Offering Bachelor's in Homeland Security Degrees, No. 11; 2019 Most Affordable Online Computer Science Degrees, No. 14; 2019 Best Online Colleges Offering Bachelor's in Computer Science Degrees, No. 15; 2019 Most Affordable Online Public Administration Degrees, No. 15; 2019 Most Affordable Online Master's in Human Resources, No. 17; 2019 Most Affordable Online Supply Chain Management Degrees, No. 17; 2019 Most Affordable Online Education Degrees, No. 20; 2019 Best Online Colleges for a Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, No. 24; 2019 Most Affordable Online Master's in Communications, No. 24; 2019 Most Affordable Online Colleges for MPA Degrees, No. 25.
Undergraduate social work students also assist by stocking shelves and taking inventory at the Pirate Pantry. Amber Dailey-Hebert, Ph.D., professor of adult and organizational learning and director of the Faculty Center for Innovation, co-authored an article published in the September issue of the International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning. Glenn Lester, assistant professor of English, published a short story in the literary journal, Barrelhouse.
John Hamilton, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of criminal justice administration, was interviewed by KSHB-TV in Kansas City on Oct. 17 for a story related to challenges police faced during a manhunt following a shooting. Jayme Uden, Ed.D., associate vice president and dean of students, was interviewed for a story that aired on KCTV in Kansas City on Sept. 26 related to a new app, JDoe, that allows users to report sexual assaults anonymously.
Park University was featured in the Kansas City Business Journal's "Graduate Programs: A Guide to Continuing Education" special section on Oct. 5. Matt Harris, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, was interviewed for a story that aired on WDAF-TV in Kansas City on Sept. 26 related to the differences in how attitudes have evolved over the years in sexual harassment accusations between Christine Blasey Ford today and Anita Hill in 1991.
[1] Information obtained from our website and our website-pantry.
- Park University's Master of Social Work program goes beyond academics by operating the Pirate Pantry, an education-and-self-development initiative aimed at addressing food insecurity among students, and encouraging general-news donations of nonperishable food and personal hygiene items.
- While pursuing their professional careers, such as Sarah Hopkins-Chery, a graduate of Park University and a 2018 "20 Under 40" honoree, students can still benefit from the diverse range of degree programs Park University offers, including Law Enforcement, Marketing, Communications, Finance, Homeland Security, Computer Science, Public Administration, Human Resources, Supply Chain Management, Education, and even lifelong learning opportunities like the MPA and Master's in Communications programs.
