Palm Beach Atlantic University Inc.

07/01/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/01/2026 12:09

Palm Beach Atlantic University Community Surpasses Volunteer Goal Ahead of Nation’s 250th Anniversary

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Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) students, alumni, staff, and faculty surpassed their goal of volunteering 250 service projects ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.

From June 1 to 30, volunteers performed a total of 263 acts of service at their local churches, community outreach events, food drives, and more. PBA alumni, staff, and faculty contributed 1,122 hours toward this goal while students contributed 11,000 hours.

"This is a major milestone for us at PBA-over 12,000 hours of community service in just 30 days is a momentous thing to celebrate," said Laura Bishop, EVP of Advancement. "More importantly, it reflects the desire our community has to give back, while celebrating what being an American is about: caring for our neighbors and showing love through service."

Read more about their acts of service below.

Meaningful Movement

Brittni Parke earned her undergraduate degree in biology with a pre-health concentration from PBA in 2023 and returned to PBA last year to join the inaugural cohort of the Physician Associate Medicine (MMSc-PA) program. She currently serves as the president of PBA's Student Government Association and led her peers in a service project based in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Before joining the PA program, Parke built her patient care experience by volunteering at Rock Steady Boxing in Orlando, Florida, an organization that serves individuals living with Parkinson's disease. Motivated by the deep connections she formed with the Parkinson's community, she chose to participate in the Moving Day Parkinson's Walk, hosted by the Parkinson's Foundation, for her PBA250 service project.

"The individuals I met through Rock Steady Boxing taught me so much about perseverance, positivity, and finding joy despite challenges," Parke shared. "Being able to give back through the Moving Day Parkinson's Walk felt like a small way to honor those relationships and support a community that has impacted my life in such a profound way. As a future physician associate, experiences like this continue to remind me that some of the most meaningful moments in health care happen when we simply show up for people and let them know they are not facing their journey alone."

Ahead of the Moving Day Parkinson's Walk, Parke created a team, dedicated several hours to supporting the event, raised support within her community, and engaged with participants and families affected by Parkinson's disease. She also raised $1,072.60 to support the foundation, and together her team raised a total of $1,815.

"Service has always been one of the most meaningful aspects of my PBA experience," Parke said. "As a future health care provider, I believe serving others extends far beyond the clinic and begins with investing in our communities. The PBA250 initiative provided an opportunity to make a tangible difference while honoring a larger national milestone, and I was excited to be part of that effort."

Investing in Community

For his PBA250 service project, Associate Professor of Biology Wesley Bollinger invested in his local church, where he has been serving as a deacon for the past three years. In June, he volunteered each Sunday to assist with parking, cleaning, setting up for church services, and putting away equipment after the services. As a natural introvert, Bollinger says he appreciates volunteering as a way to connect with new people.

"This is a lifestyle of wanting to help serve the West Palm Beach community," Bollinger said. "My hope is that I can continue volunteering in this or a different capacity as a way to help honor the founding of our country."

PBA staff got together to serve the community by harvesting mangoes at a local orchard. The team collected fruit through CROS Ministries, an organization focused on supporting local food banks, reducing waste, and connecting with others who share a passion for service.

"Having the opportunity to serve in the local community was really great," said Betania Torres, director of International Student Services at PBA. "It was meaningful to be part of their mission to help families in need. From that organization, I even had the idea to serve with them again by engaging my students."

The 250 Acts of Service initiative was launched by PBA's Workship program, which encourages students to make a practice of volunteering in their communities by serving a minimum of 45 hours each academic year. Since the program's inception in 1968, PBA students have volunteered more than 4.2 million hours of community service across the United States and beyond.

"PBA250 is a remarkable way to celebrate our nation's 250th anniversary by giving back to our community," said Nathan Chau, director of Workship. "We are immensely proud of our community for participating in this volunteer effort."

Learn more about Workship at https://www.pba.edu/campus-life/christian-community/workship/.

Palm Beach Atlantic University Inc. published this content on July 01, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 01, 2026 at 18:09 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]