Families suffering from food insecurity is an increasing need in our community.  God’s Pantry Food Bank estimates that 1 in 5 children and 1 in 4 senior citizens are utilizing their services at least once a month.   To address this need the Laurel County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent is collaborating with several local organizations to ensure access to sufficient food supplies for individuals and families.  

This past year the Extension Office has coordinated with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to receive the Senior Citizen Farmers Market Voucher program.   The $2,100 in vouchers are being distributed to local senior citizens at the London/Laurel County Farmers Market on Saturdays in July. In order to make the program a success and to reach more seniors we have offered transportation to many seniors to the market where they can receive their vouchers and have a chance to use them for free fruits and vegetables.  

In conjunction with the London Laurel County Farmers Market and God’s Pantry Food Bank, the Laurel County FCS Agent, Horticulture agent, and Agriculture Agent conducted an Annual Farmers Feast.  The Farmers Feast program entailed a dinner where all ingredients are locally sourced.  Local farmers were highlighted by setting up sample tables and participants were encouraged to meet their local farmers.  Agriculture, Horticulture, and Family and Consumer Science Agents worked together to prepare a local dinner that fed 200 participants, and a silent auction and live auction of donated cakes.  The event was used as a fundraiser for God’s Pantry Food Bank Southeast KY Distribution Center.  God’s Pantry food bank southeast distribution center distributes food to needy families in 11 counties including Laurel County and surrounding counties. The Family & Consumer Sciences Agent is the chair of the board for the God’s Pantry Food Bank Distribution Center and works diligently on several programs including Taste of Southeast KY which brings awareness to the community about food insecurity and raised over $25,000 for needy families in Southeastern KY.  The Farmers Feast generated $3500 for Gods Pantry Food Bank which they estimated into 28,000 meals for Kentucky Families that are food insecure.

We are thrilled to have an opportunity to offer a program in collaboration with Feeding America, God’s Pantry Food Bank, local farmers and local restaurants utilizing the Meal Connect app.  This app is currently being used across the country to connect excess quality food items that restaurants and caterers have at the end of the day/event with organizations that can distribute the food, such as homeless shelters, abuse shelters and food banks.  The donating entity simply opens the app, snaps a picture of the food they want to donate, schedules a time that the food will be available and hits “send.”  The app then sends a notification to trained volunteers in the area.  Our local farmers market vendors and area farms will be the first in the nation to be connected to this program.  

The Horticulture Agent and the FCS Agent hosted a training for volunteers on proper food handling and procedures for picking up food at restaurants and for picking up frozen meat and raw produce from the farmers market and local farms.   Volunteers maintain a food log and must utilize special kits for transporting the food, including thermal blankets and thermometers, which can be checked out from the Laurel County Extension Office.  Local farmers were also trained and registered for the program following the volunteer training.  The farmers’ donations will be weighed and logged when picked up, and they will receive an enhanced charitable donation tax deduction.  The food that flows through the Meal Connect app is normally in the hands of needy people within eight hours, so all food that is collected will stay in our local area.  The program is already showing an impact on our community, as the training was conducted last Thursday evening and the first request for produce pickup at the farmers market was sent out to volunteers on Saturday afternoon.