The $5 million from Kentucky’s “rainy day fund” that Gov. Andy Beshear gave to food pantries on Friday is headed to distribution centers with one directive: buy food and give it away quickly.
Melissa McDonald, the executive director of Feeding Kentucky, a network of seven food pantries tasked with disseminating the funds to organizations serving people in need, said the “bulk” of the emergency money will go to the largest banks, God’s Pantry and Feeding America Kentucky Heartland. The other food banks in the network will get the remainder, split based on rates of food insecurity.
“Their estimated time to spend it is as soon as possible,” McDonald said during a Monday afternoon press conference.
As soon as Tuesday, she said, many food banks will be able to hit “purchase” on orders of food. The types of food and how it’s distributed will vary by location. As the colder months begin, fresh produce is harder to come by, McDonald said, making for “a tough season.”
While elderly Kentuckians and children often face higher rates of food insecurity, McDonald said food pantries are seeing “a mix of everyone” in need right now.
Read the rest at the Kentucky Lantern.
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