Park University Opens Pirate Pantry for Students Facing Food Insecurity

Oct. 18, 2018 — Park University will hold a grand opening for its Pirate Pantry, the University’s response to the increased awareness of food insecurity among students on college campuses, on Tuesday, Oct. 23, starting at 10 a.m. inside the Intramural and Recreational Fieldhouse (Labor Hall) adjacent to Breckon Sports Center on the University’s Parkville Campus.

College students regularly experience high levels of food insecurity — a sample study in 2016 found that 48 percent of respondents reported food insecurity in a 30-day period, including 22 percent that had low levels of food security that qualify them as “hungry.” Hunger is cited by many students as a factor in not being able to concentrate in the classroom and while studying, leading some to not complete their college degree.

The Pirate Pantry is open to any Park University student. It is operated by volunteers, primarily graduate students in Park’s Master of Social Work program. Undergraduate social work students also assist by stocking shelves and taking inventory.

The pantry is organized in alignment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ChooseMyPlate.gov, with nonperishable food items organized into proteins, grains, fruits and vegetables. Students who visit the pantry can select a three-day supply of food. Personal hygiene items are also available.

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-mail pantry@park.edu for large volume donations. Financial donations are also accepted. For more information about the Pirate Pantry and donation options, visit park.edu/park-pantry/.