GARRARD COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Gregory Scott Cash’s mission began years ago in a very small way, when he gave free food to one senior citizen.
“Two or three days later, she come back and says ‘I need more food’. So I said ‘look, I gave you a whole carload of food’. But she was going to give it to seniors who needed food too”, says Cash.
And that was the spark. Cash and his wife took over the Garrard County Food Bank, which was closed at the time, and today, they feed nearly 600 families and more than 2,500 people every month. He understands their struggles, more than they might realize.
“I was raised by a single mother that raised three kids and still managed to get her education, so struggle is something I’m used to. It feels good to be able to help people.
“It’s more than just a food pantry. We do appliances, furniture, clothes…we were able to get a mobile home. Cars, dentures, hearing aids – there’s been a whole lot of stuff we’ve been able to do over the last few years.”
No matter the circumstances. Two years ago, the food pantry burned to the ground. It was a total loss, but Cash and his volunteers kept going. At one point, distributing needed goods out of the back of his track.
“We took about a $150,000 loss personally and we still haven’t regained from that, in all honesty”, Cash says.
But his dedication is paying off. Still in their temporary home of a former gas station, plans are in the works to build a new pantry. A big step for a hero who knows all about giant leaps of faith.
“I guess right when you’re at your lowest, your darkest, God will shine a light”, says Cash. “And whether you believe in God or the stop sign out there, I think that’s one of the core things that people have lost out there is belief, belief in God and belief in (themselves) and belief in society. We’ve gotta get that back.”
