Building Community

Park University’s Pirate Pantry opened its doors in October 2018 with a major gift from North Kansas City (Mo.) Hospital. Funding a campus food pantry was a natural fit for the nonprofit community hospital.

“Our commitment to health care goes beyond bricks and mortar to meeting community needs,” said Randee Gannon, vice president of marketing and community wellness at NKCH. “Hunger is a health care issue.”

The Pirate Pantry, located in the Intramural and Recreational Fieldhouse (Labor Hall), addresses the growing issue of food insecurity among college students. Nationally, a 2016 study found that 22 percent of students had low levels of food security and qualified as “hungry.”

“Hungry people are less able to study. If you’re not studying, you’re not getting an education,” said Gannon. “Research shows that educated adults have healthier behaviors and live longer.”

North Kansas City Hospital supports education across Kansas City’s Northland region through programs like Northland CAPS, a career-oriented, hands-on learning experience for high school students. The hospital combats hunger by providing food donations to Harvesters — The Community Food Network and Northland Meals on Wheels.

Pirate Pantry is funded entirely by donations and operated by volunteers, primarily graduate students in Park’s Master of Social Work program. The pantry stocks nonperishable and fresh food items in alignment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutrition standards. For more information, visit park.edu/park-pantry.