JESSAMINE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Jessamine County food pantry is calling for increased donations and volunteers as it grapples with declining funding while serving a growing number of community members struggling with food insecurity.
The Jessamine County Food Pantry serves approximately 400 people monthly, according to Operations Manager Ruthann Richardson. With more than 13% of Jessamine County's population experiencing food insecurity, according to Feeding America, the demand for services continues to rise.
"We really want to make sure we are meeting the needs of our community," Richardson said.
The pantry serves a diverse clientele, including families and elderly residents facing financial hardships.
"Often, they are repeat people who are on fixed incomes. Often people who have hit a hard time, lost a job, just need a little extra to get through. And then I've seen people that come here for months. We do have quite a bit of need here in the county," Richardson said.
The need is expected to increase as the holiday season approaches, particularly among vulnerable populations.
"In addition to families with children, we see a lot of elderly who just can't make ends meet right now," Richardson said.
The pantry is currently facing significant funding challenges. Federal funding through United Way has been frozen due to budget cutbacks, creating financial strain for the organization.
"We just don't have as much of that coming in right now, it was frozen during some of the cutbacks. So that's a little bit of the piece of what's been going on with our budget," Richardson said.
The pantry relies heavily on monetary donations to purchase food in bulk for clients. However, as food prices have increased, donations have decreased, creating a challenging situation.
"When those people aren't giving as much, then we're in a position when we need a little more," Richardson said.
Operating on Second Street for 15 years, the pantry has outgrown its current location due to increasing demand.
"We're really outgrowing this space. Our biggest need is a space so we can grow and expand and help our community," Richardson said.
Regular shelf stable food donations that are needed:
(no items in glass jars or expired food)
- Cereal 18oz
- Rice
- Pasta Sauce 24 ounce cans
- Peanut Butter 16 ounce jars
- Mac and Cheese Boxes
- Spaghetti Pasta 1 pound bag or box
- Elbow Noodles 1 pound bag or box
- Canned Vegetables
- Canned Fruits
- Canned Soup or Stew
- Canned Meat: Tuna, Chicken, Beef
- Canned beans or lentils
- Ramen
- Instant potato flakes
- Granola bars
- Cooking oil
- Shelf stable milk
- Box/Package of Stuffing/Dressing
- Corn muffin mix
You can also give monetarily:
SEND CHECKS: PO BOX 31 Nicholasville, KY 40340 or at WWW.JCFOODPANTRY.ORG [jcfoodpantry.org]
