PEO International helps to advance mission of Campus Co-Op

Four chapters of the women’s organization PEO International recently made a significant donation of foodstuffs and other basic necessities to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma’s Campus Co-Op, which provides university students a stress-free way to meet their nutritional needs.

The donation includes non-perishable food items, toiletries and other household essentials.

“Anytime someone donates to the Co-op, they’re making an immediate difference in the life of a USAO student,” said Alexis Avery, head of student relations for the Neill-Wint Center for Neurodiversity and coordinator of the co-op. “It’s deeply moving to see the representatives from PEO chapters all around the area have come together to help relieve stresses on our students so they can give 110 percent to their studies.”

The Campus Co-Op strives to provide supplemental assistance for those in need within the USAO community, decreasing the impact of food insecurities on academic success. Located in the university’s Lawson Court Clubhouse, the open pantry includes both perishable and non-perishable foodstuffs, with students welcome to take items as needed.

In January 2017, a university task force conducted a survey to assess the need for a food pantry. Eighty-six percent of students either strongly agreed or agreed that such a service was needed at USAO, while 68 percent of faculty and staff felt the same way.

Founded at Wesleyan College in 1869, PEO International promotes educational opportunities for women through a variety of grants, loans, awards, special projects of their stewardship of Cottey College in Missouri. Now celebrating 150 years of service, membership has to nearly 250,000 women across nearly 6,000 chapters in the United States and Canada.