LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — While many people are setting off on their Christmas vacations, the team at God’s Pantry Food Bank is still hard at work, helping those who are food insecure.
“Hunger doesn't really take a holiday,” said Food Drive manager Dwan Carey. “Often people have to choose between maybe buying an extra Christmas present or having an extra pie at their table and feeding themselves on a regular basis.”
They serve a quarter million people in Central and Eastern Kentucky. One in 10 people in Lexington have faced food insecurity, she said. It’s a number that Carey says keeps them up at night.
The good news is the holiday season doubles as the giving season. They see a big increase in donations.
There are a few ways you can help. The first is by volunteering.
“We have regular volunteer shifts every week, we need help in our pantries, we need help in our box distributions and many other different ways,” Carey said.
Another way you can help is by donating food. Local Krogers have blue barrels where you can donate food that goes to the Food Bank. She suggests you could grab something extra while shopping that you end up donating or donating food you don’t need for your Christmas meal.
Another way you can help is by donating money. They have a virtual food drive for that. She says just one dollar helps them purchase enough food for six meals. An interactive tool allows you to see how much they pay for things like a pallet of soup or spaghetti sauce.
