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Fayette County deputies, Lexington officers drop food boxes to build relationships

Food Boxes.jpg
Posted at 1:06 PM, May 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-17 14:06:34-04

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Two hundred and eighty boxes of food were dropped off to households on the Northside of Lexington along the Georgetown Road corridor Monday morning by Fayette County sheriff's deputies and Lexington police officers in partnership with God's Pantry Food Bank.

The food drop was part of a larger project in which Fayette County Sheriff Kathy Witt said her team is, "trying to meet our needs where they are, rather than citizens have to search to have their needs met. We're coming to them in their homes. We're trying to meet food insecurities and develop and strengthen relationships with law enforcement."

The boxes were full of meat, dairy products, and fresh fruit that should last three to four days.

Witt said, "It's a wonderful box. It's an additional box rather than the monthly box that a lot of people get in our community."

Deputies knocked on community members' doors Friday asking if they would like a box.

Witt explained not everyone wanted one, "Several of them have said, 'I don't need the food box, please give it to my neighbor. I know that they are struggling right now.' It's been really good to see neighbors helping each other as well."

As deputies and officers made the drop-offs Monday morning, Witt said the goal was not to just deliver food but to build relationships.

"I had a minister from a long time ago he used to say nobody cares how much you know till they know how much you care," she said, "I hope that what we're sending to our citizens, is that we truly care. We’re here for you. We’d like to have a conversation with you that's positive, we would like to sit on your porch with you and talk about things that are important to you rather than have to knock on your door and give you not-so-positive news or give you bad news."

The food drops are set to continue Monday, May 24 in a different Lexington neighborhood.