The Hope in the Hills food bank has been serving the people of Leslie County, particularly in the Stinnett community, for over three years now. In that time, they have given out thousands of food boxes to hundreds of families in need. Director Jack Morgan says that his organization is doing what they can for their community. “We see a lot of folks in need. And we’re just doing what we can to help.”
Hope in the Hills found themselves in dire need of a generator when a string of strong storms ripped through the region last month, leaving their facility without power for several days. “We almost lost a good bit of food,” said Morgan. So, the Hope in the Hills team reached out to the Leslie County Community Foundation (LCCF) for some aid.
“The work that Hope in the Hills is doing is just inspiring,” says LCCF Chair Joel Brashear. “Food insecurity is one of the biggest hurdles we have to face as a community. And these folks are tackling it head-on. When they approached us needing a generator, our board jumped at the chance to help.” Brashear says that this is a perfect example of where the Community Foundation can assist local groups and organizations here in Leslie County. “Our Foundation is new. We don’t have a million-dollar endowment. But what we do have is the resources to come in and help local groups fill a need that might come up. Our goal is to work on long-term projects that address the major issues our community faces, while also being able to come in and give quick aid to our local groups that might need a little funding to overcome an obstacle.”
The generator going to Hope in the Hills will ensure that their freezers will not fail the next time they suffer a power outage. “We really appreciate what this Foundation has done for us. It helps us a lot,” says Morgan.
The Leslie County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky. LCCF’s mission is to work in partnership with generous donors to increase permanent resources available to strengthen the community by inspiring philanthropy and civic engagement. The foundation was started by local citizens in order to increase local giving to meet immediate needs and plan for the future.
To donate to LCCF, visit their donation page at http://bit.ly/LeslieCF.