Author: Jacob Ison
Planning Unit: Elliott County CES
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Plan of Work: Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
Elliott County is a beautiful county tucked away in the hills of eastern KY . However, with all its beauty, the rural area of Elliott County does not provide a great deal of job opportunities, and this is reflected in its high poverty rates. As a region often referred to as a "food desert," where many families struggle to access affordable, nutritious food. The county has long had high rates of poverty, unemployment, and other socioeconomic challenges, which exacerbated food insecurity.
According to the U.S. Census most recent data, Elliott Counties population stands at 7,245, with 25% of this population living below the poverty line. This is a number that is double the national average of 12.5%.
Sometime around 2010, The Elliott County Extension Office collaborated with God's Pantry Food Bank in hopes to help serve the local people of Elliott County with some of their food and nutritional needs.
God's Pantry Food Bank is a regional nonprofit organization serving a broad area of Kentucky, with a mission to provide nutritious food to people in need. They support a network of food pantries and community programs across the state. Recognizing the specific challenges faced by rural communities like Elliott County, the food bank extended its outreach to provide regular food distribution and nutritional support.
Not long after the collaboration the Little Sandy Correctional Complex chipped in to provide much needed volunteers to help distribute the commodities at the food drop each month.
The God’s Pantry Food Drop program now serves 100-120 underprivileged families monthly. The Elliott County Extension Office, along with help from God’s Pantry Food Drop and other local community organizations, plans to keep pressing on to do all it can to serve the people of this beautiful, Appalachia area.
Key Impact and Success:
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