Kentucky food pantries get $40K for freezers, fridges

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) has secured $40,000 in USDA funding to help local food pantries get more storage space. The funding will be used to purchase freezers and refrigerators, which will help food pantries preserve donations of perishable items such as eggs, meat, and milk.

The funding will be distributed to Feeding Kentucky, which will then distribute it to its seven-member food banks. The food banks will determine where the funding has the most impact.

This is the second time the KDA has secured USDA funding for this purpose. In 2020, the KDA used $25,000 to purchase 32 chest freezers and 24 standard refrigerators with top freezers.

"Fresh and frozen food is often the healthiest food available, but the distribution of these foods requires greater infrastructure at every point in the distribution chain," said Marian Guinn, Feeding Kentucky Interim Executive Director. "We are pleased to have had the opportunity again this year to strengthen our distribution system at the pantry level."

Feeding Kentucky's seven-member food banks serve all 120 Kentucky counties in partnership with a network of more than 800 local food pantries and shelters.

The funding is part of the Kentucky Hunger Initiative, which was launched in 2016 by Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles to bring together farmers, charitable organizations, faith groups, community leaders, and government entities to reduce hunger in Kentucky.

"Thanks to the hard work of our Division of Food Distribution and Feeding Kentucky, we were able to again fund the purchase of more and much-needed space to keep food fresh at food pantries in need," Commissioner Quarles said. "The freezers and refrigerators help pantries preserve donations of perishable items, such as eggs, meat, and milk so they can be distributed to food insecure Kentuckians."

The funding is a welcome relief for food pantries, which have been struggling to keep up with demand in recent years. According to Feeding Kentucky, the number of people served by food pantries in Kentucky increased by 25% from 2019 to 2020.

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