By Blake Jackson
Kentucky's Hunger Free Kentucky Day summit at the State Capitol brought together advocates to address rising hunger rates. Leaders in agriculture, education, and food banks shared statistics and personal stories highlighting the issue. Feeding Kentucky distributed over 78 million meals in 2023 alone, demonstrating the significant need within the state.
The urgency wasn't unique to Kentucky. Alarming national data from the USDA revealed a 31% increase in food insecurity across the country in 2022, with 44 million people, including 13 million children, affected. This marked the highest level since the 2008 recession.
Educators like Michael Epperson spoke about the impact on students facing hunger in their classrooms. Farmer Ally Vallandingham championed SB 256, a bill promoting local food access by incentivizing schools to purchase Kentucky-grown produce.
The discussions extended beyond increasing food availability to protecting existing programs. Opponents of HB 367, a bill proposing restrictions on SNAP benefits, raised concerns that it would limit essential food assistance for vulnerable populations. First Lady Britainy Beshear emphasized the potential impact on children who could lose access to meals at home and school due to the bill's limitations.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-fatcamera
Categories: Kentucky, General