Author: Stacy Trent
Planning Unit: Breathitt County CES
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Outcome: Initial Outcome
According to Data USA 43 percent of the population in Wolfe County, Kentucky live below the poverty line, which is higher than the national average of 14.7 percent. Many factors contribute to poverty. Among the factors that contribute to poverty is unemployment. According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics the unemployment rate is 9.5 percent. Many people live in poverty in Wolfe County because there is little to no availability for employment. Unemployment doesn’t affect everyone equally, some people have a harder time finding work than others. Wolfe County residents have to commute to find work. Some don’t have the transportation to do so. These limited resource individuals are relying on food pantries for food. The Kentucky Nutrition Education Program partnered up with the Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd Food Pantry to deliver a six week course called the Healthy Choices for Every Body program.This program is to help those individuals acquire knowledge, develop skills and change behaviors that lead to improved health and well-being. The Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd Food Pantry gives participants that attend each lesson a ticket to receive an extra food item. After completing the program participants reported that they could prepare more low-cost quick meals, and they improved the use of their food dollars. Twenty participants were enrolled in the program and at the end of the six weeks 15 had graduated. One participants stated, “I loved this program, I learned how to budget what money I do have so that I would not run out of food at the end of the month.” Another participants stated, “I used my ticket to get a healthy food such as whole wheat bread, something that can’t be purchased here in Wolfe County.” The director of the Food Pantry said she saw a decrease in participants who were coming to the pantry stating that because they learned how to budget what money that have they aren’t needing as much assistance.
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