Hazard, KY ─ The Pikeville Community Foundation recently awarded over $26,000 to community-based nonprofits administering Food Security Programs in Pike County. Grantee partners include Chain of Love Disaster Relief, East Kentucky Dream Center, Grace Fellowship Community Kitchen, Handfuls on Purpose, Helping Hands of Phelps, Pikeville Community Kitchen, and Thankful Hearts Food Pantry.
Food insecurity refers to the lack of access to nutritionally adequate foods for a healthy active life. Food insecurity may reflect a household’s need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods. Research by Feeding America shows that Kentucky has the eighth-highest rate of food insecurity in the nation and the Pike County rate is 19.6% (2018 data). Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Feeding America estimates food insecurity has gone up by 40% in Kentucky.
The pandemic has threatened the lives and livelihoods of so many people in our region. We hope these grants will help our food banks increase their capacity and continue to serve and meet the increasing demands. For people facing hunger—hope can be a hot meal, a bag of groceries, and a well‐nourished child.
Pat McNamee, chair of the Pikeville Community Foundation.
The Pikeville Community Foundation is a collaborative effort of local people dedicated to the preservation and sustainability of Pike County. The Community Foundation is working to create a culture of giving and philanthropy that promotes community development. The Community Foundation serves as a resource to engage the community in cooperative and creative partnerships to strengthen and build a better future.
The Pikeville County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, an accredited community foundation serving Southeast Kentucky. Pikeville Community Foundation board members are Pat McNamee (chair), Philip Elswick, Rick Newsom, Fadi Al Akhrass, MD, Kathy Atkins (secretary) and Gerrie Clark. To donate to the Pikeville Community Foundation, mail a check to Pikeville Community Foundation, 773 Hambley Blvd, Pikeville KY 41501 or donate online at https://bit.ly/pikevillecf. Online donations can be set up to recur monthly, quarterly, or annually.
The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky and its affiliate community foundations serve 54 counties in southeast Kentucky and is accredited through the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. For more information or to make a donation, check out the community foundation page or call 606-439-1357.
