Food insecurity is the consistent lack of enough food for everyone in a household to live an active, healthy life. According to 2018 data from the Feeding America website (https://www.feedingamerica.org), the percentage of food insecurity in Kentucky is 14.8%. The Licking River and Northeast Area Homemaker Areas, have many counties where the food insecurity rate is higher than Kentucky’s overall rate at 25.3%, and the rate for children in these areas is even higher. Counties with rural communities such as Licking River and Northeast Areas are often more likely to have higher rates of food insecurity.

In order to address this problem, the Greenup County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences shared Hunger in Kentucky lessons with the Extension Homemakers in the Licking River and Northeast Areas. After identifying local community resources and developing project ideas, Homemaker leadership will take the information back and teach in their own counties. In total seventy Homemakers from the Licking River and Northeast Areas, where delivered the Hunger in Kentucky training, during Homemaker Leader Lesson Area Leadership Day. Homemakers will share the food insecurity information they had learned from the lessons and communicated the needs of local food pantries with their fellow Homemakers in each of the 18 counties represented, asking members to focus on how they can address food insecurities in each of their individual counties. 

One of the Homemaker members remarked, “I didn’t realize the magnitude in our entire area of how many families are struggling with hunger. It was nice to hear everyone talking about the work they are already doing with food pantries and school backpack programs. I look forward to seeing how bringing light to this subject can further bring resources into these communities that so desperately need help.   I know that together, as Homemakers, we CAN make a difference in fighting Hunger in Kentucky.”