This time of year, Daylight Saving Time is synonymous with an extra hour of slumber, but not for those who work the night shift. Most of these individuals – including the first responders in Eureka and the City of St. Louis – will instead tack an extra hour onto their shift. To show appreciation for those who work tirelessly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of individuals in the communities they serve, local nonprofit, fully online university WGU Missouri will be surprising them on Saturday with a special delivery of hand-packed appreciation kits to help stay fueled the extra hour.
Once the night shift begins on Nov. 5, a representative from WGU will drop off the appreciation kits to more than 115 first responders at the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s (SLMPD) Anti-Crime Task Force and SLMPD District 2, which bravely responded to the recent school shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in South St. Louis City. Each box is filled with a variety of snacks to help fuel first responders who are working the extra hour. This includes hot chocolate and coffee pods, a bottle of Gatorade, can of Celsius energy drink, package of mini muffins and powdered doughnuts, Oreo minis, Ritz crackers, a bag of chips, granola bar and more. These items will also be delivered in bulk to 15 first responders at the Eureka Fire Protection District in Eureka who will be on duty for a 48-hour shift.
As part of this effort, WGU Missouri will also be providing information about a new scholarship available for first responders and their spouses. Each First Responders Scholarship is valued at up to $4,000 and is open to EMTs, police officers, firefighters, corrections officers, dispatchers, and their immediate family members who are interested in completing their bachelor’s or master’s degrees at WGU Missouri. New students can apply for the scholarship online at wgu.edu/firstresponders through Dec. 31, 2022.
“When we turn our clocks back at 2 a.m., first responders in the St. Louis area will work an extra hour,” said Dr. Terrance Hopson, Regional Vice President of WGU Missouri. “By offering these appreciation kits and scholarship opportunity, we’re able to honor the important and often unrecognized contributions of these real-life heroes.”
WGU Missouri has a proud history of thanking night shift workers. As a flexible, online university, many of its students are night owls themselves. To learn more about WGU Missouri and its commitment to night shift workers and first responders, visit missouri.wgu.edu.
About WGU Missouri
WGU Missouri is a competency-based, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Missouri faculty members serve as mentors, working one-on-one with students, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction.
Established in 2013 through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $7,600 per year for most programs.
Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Nursing College programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*), and the Health Informatics program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). More information is available at missouri.wgu.edu or by calling 855.948.8493.
*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington DC 20036, 202-877-6791).
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For more information, contact:
Merisa Ashbaugh
(314)436-9090