WGU students, alumni and staff roll up their sleeves at St. Mary’s Food Bank

KTAR’s community spotlight this month focuses on an online university working to help the hungry across metro Phoenix.

Western Governors University supports St. Mary’s Food Bank, a nonprofit that distributes food to millions of people throughout Arizona each year. The food bank turns every $1 donation into five meals and provides food at no cost to hundreds of partner agencies that serve people in need.

Supporting the food bank aligns with WGU’s core mission of changing lives for the better by creating pathways to opportunity, according to the university’s regional director, Bob Benson.

“It is important to have a pathway to be successful and that is not only through education, but obviously day-to-day getting that food, making sure you’re able to do the chores that you have, be it taking care of our family, et cetera,” Benson said.

He said the Salt Lake City-based university has around 800 employees in Phoenix, more than 3,800 students in Arizona and close to 9,000 alumni. WGU students, alumni and staff are all rolling up their sleeves to volunteer at St. Mary’s.

Their efforts coincide with Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos’ Outspoken Against Hunger initiative. Bruce St. James and Larry Gaydos are teaming up with St. Mary’s Food Bank to fight summer hunger — and they’re inviting Arizona to join them.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by KTAR News 92.3 (@ktarnews)

The goal: provide half a million meals for families who need support right now.

A small action can make a big impact. Text FOOD to 620620 or donate online to help feed our neighbors.

WGU is all about helping students in and out of the classroom

The university’s partnership with St. Mary’s Food Bank reflects Benson’s belief that students need support beyond the classroom.

Benson said many students are balancing school with work, family and other challenges, which is why having a mentor is so important. At WGU, every student is paired with a mentor who guides them both academically and personally.

“That mentor helps not only with the academic progress of a student, but it also helps out with non-academic issues,” Benson said.

For example, if a student is facing a difficult class during a stressful time, a mentor may suggest taking another course first and returning to the harder one once things settle down. It’s all in service of helping students flourish at their own pace.

“We are a competency-based university, and, essentially, what that means is that you take one course at a time and as soon as you show that you’ve mastered that material, passed that test, passed the assessment, you move on to the next course, so, if you have time and you’re focused, then you can really get through that pretty quickly,” Benson explained.

Subscribe to the KTAR Eyes on Education newsletter to get our top education stories, exclusive guest interviews and more to your email inbox.

Related

SNAP resources and helpful information in Arizona for those in needHyundai earns Community Spotlight for giving more than $301M to childhood cancer researchFor Arizona stroke patients, Barrow Neurological Institute offers care when every second countsValley groups, Diamondbacks team up to support brain cancer research in MayWhy this West Valley financial firm is committed to empowering single momsCardinals raise more than $2 million in inaugural Cardinals Climb charity event