In 2025, 13.4 million pounds of food was rescued throughout our 50-county service area. Food waste is an urgent crisis:
38% of all food goes unsold or uneaten
92 billion pounds of food go to waste every year
145 billion meals end up in landfills
51% of waste comes from the food industry (restaurants, manufacturers, etc.)
Food rescue accounts for nearly 25% of the total food gathered and distributed by our organization. Instead of ending up in landfills, this food was provided to people experiencing hunger, an approach that benefits everyone by allowing us to nourish more neighbors while reducing food waste.
God’s Pantry Food Bank employs a team of Regional Resource Engagement Specialists to ensure that grocery stores, markets, and restaurants can participate. These staff members act as a conduit between the 500+ stores and restaurants that donate, and our 120+ partner agencies that receive these donations.
Because our service area is so broad, we have regional team members in Lexington, London, Morehead, and Prestonsburg, as well as manager-level staff, to ensure the success of this program.
Jenny Goodman, our Regional Resource Engagement Specialist based in London, KY, describes the job in one word: support.
“I serve 13 counties, over 80 agencies, and over 100 retail stores. No two days are the same,” she says, “and that’s the great thing about it. Whether I’m supporting agencies, donors, or staff at the warehouse, regardless of who calls, my job is to support them.”
Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the efforts of our Food Rescue Team, over 9.4 million extra meals were provided last year to neighbors facing food insecurity across Central and Eastern Kentucky.
