Inadequate access to wholesome food choices can make it harder to stay healthy and manage chronic health conditions. Food insecurity also adds stress, which can impact our physical and mental health. Being healthy and having enough nutritious food go hand in hand. Unfortunately, we don’t all have the same access to food. Some communities, including racially marginalized and rural areas, have more barriers to nourishing, fresh items.
In Carter County, our neighbor Tiffany is a busy mom caring for three children. She says her community is friendly, but there aren’t a lot of resources. “Money is tight, right? Like, this day and age, it’s hard. It’s hard to be able to feed your kids and pay your bills without a little help every once in a while. The [food pantry] is one of the best things I’ve seen around here in a long time. We’re able to eat healthier. We eat our vegetables and,” with a nod to her 5-year-old son, Noble, “our fruits, huh?”
Noble may not love the cabbage rolls his mom makes from the produce they get at the pantry, but he does enjoy helping her “mix up” the potatoes. He especially loves the berries and apples Tiffany’s been able to bring home.
Last fiscal year, our Produce Program empowered the distribution of more than 19 million pounds of fruits and vegetables. And our participation in Feeding Kentucky’s Farms to Food Banks program continues to support farmers and create pathways for neighbors experiencing food insecurity to access the local food system—we’ve helped ensure an apple’s journey from a local orchard includes the hands of kids like Noble.
We are committed to supplying our network of partner food pantries and meal programs with more of the nutrient-rich food we all need, including produce, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins.
Your support means we can work alongside our neighbors to make sure everyone has what they need to improve their health and live a nourished, thriving life.
Watch an apple's journey through God's Pantry Food Bank:
