FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Anti-hunger advocates met at the State Capitol Wednesday morning as Governor Beshear declared March 13 Hunger Free Kentucky Day.
Leaders in farming, education, and local food banks took the stage one by one, sharing anecdotes and statistics around the growing issue of hunger in Kentucky.
“Our work is about helping those who have circumstances in front of them, oftentimes that are under no control of themselves,” said Mike Halligan, God’s Pantry Food Bank CEO.
In 2023, Feeding Kentucky’s seven Feeding America member food banks distributed over 78 million meals through roughly 1,400 member agencies to Kentuckians facing food insecurity.
The latest USDA data shows a growing need across the country as well.
In 2022, 44 million individuals, including 13 million children, lived in food-insecure households, a 31% increase over the previous year.
The last time food insecurity was this bad in the U.S. was during the recession of 2008.
“These are not just numbers, they represent real people and real students, especially in my classroom, who are facing this crisis,” said Michael Epperson, a Louisville teacher.
As they shared testimony, advocates highlighted various bills regarding food insecurity.
Ally Vallandingham, an 8th-generation farmer from Harrison County, discussed her support for SB 256, which would, in part, require schools to receive a reimbursement to encourage the purchasing of Kentucky-grown products from local farmers.
“Properly funding both farm-to-school and farm-to-food bank programs allows the better chance for our family farm and others to be there for the 9th generation of producers in the Bluegrass,” said Vallandingham.
Several other speakers drew attention to HB 367 and their opposition to the bill.
HB 367 would place additional restrictions on SNAP benefits. Supporters believe the bill will prevent people from wrongly taking advantage of food assistance, while opponents argue it would deprive people who can’t survive without benefits.
“Children who lose SNAP benefits because of this hurtful bill will miss out on breakfast and dinner at home, and possibly lunch at school. That means they can't count on a meal at any point during the day,” said First Lady Britainy Beshear.
