LEXINGTON, Ky. — Civic leaders and volunteers from across the state gathered to combat food insecurity, packing a total of 640 boxed meals for residents in need. This event took place at the Central Bank Center as part of an initiative led by God’s Pantry Food Bank on [insert date here].
According to Michael Halligan, CEO of God’s Pantry, food insecurity is a persistent issue affecting nearly 265,000 people in central and eastern Kentucky. The Kentucky League of Cities participated in the operation, allowing local leaders to witness the impact of food insecurity firsthand. “It gets their mayors and city council members and county commissioners involved so they see how food insecurity impacts the state,” said Jonathan Shell, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner.
Shell’s office plays a crucial role in supporting food security efforts by tapping into federal programs aimed at stocking food bank shelves. He emphasized the availability of federally funded USDA programs that assist food banks in acquiring local, fresh produce. “We have funds that come down that we can administer to help food banks of Kentucky,” he added.
The collaboration among volunteers is essential to addressing the food needs of over 700,000 food insecure individuals statewide. Although food insecurity becomes more pronounced during the holiday season, Halligan stressed that the problem persists year-round. “Imagine for a moment we were trying to do this work with employees we were paying,” said Halligan, highlighting the critical reliance on volunteer effort. Last year, God’s Pantry reported almost 5,000 volunteers who contributed over 33,000 hours of service.
One particularly striking statistic shared by Halligan is that 10 of the 25 most food insecure counties in the United States are located in Kentucky. This underscores the urgent need for ongoing efforts to alleviate hunger in the region.
The event serves not only to provide immediate relief but also aims to inspire local leaders to address food security in their respective communities actively.
