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167,950 people across 13 Kentuckiana counties lack reliable access to affordable, nutritious food.
Inflation has permeated the staples of every family diet
The cost of eggs, milk and bread have all increased and prices remain at near 40-year-highs. While nearly half of all U.S. states raised the minimum wage to offset this impact, the minimum wage in Kentucky and Indiana remains aligned with the federal requirement of $7.25.
As many of our neighbors work in poverty, the rising levels of inflation overwhelm their budgets. Money once spent on housing, utilities, transportation and food, no longer covers basic needs. This coincides with an increased demand seen by food banks and partnering agencies in Kentuckiana.
As the need grows, federal support provided during the pandemic has returned to pre-pandemic levels. All households benefiting from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) received a temporary boost in benefits during the pandemic. That funding has now decreased, despite the rising need.
SNAP helps people with small budgets buy healthy food at participating stores. It is designed to support families and communities during times of increased need, expanding when the economy weakens and contracting when the economy recovers. In Kentucky, these benefits serve children more than any other demographic, though it is also a resource for those unable to afford healthy meals. Nearly half of all SNAP recipients in Kentucky are children, while 29% of recipients have a disability and 17% are working. Behind the statistics are individuals who have benefited from needed resources only to have them pulled back.
Where we are now
In Jefferson County alone, Feeding America found that 101,980 people experience food insecurity. That is thirteen percent of the population. Surrounding counties face similar realities.
| Kentucky | Indiana |
|---|---|
| Jefferson County: 13.1 percent | Harrison County: 12.4 percent |
| Oldham County: 8.4 percent | Crawford County: 18.3 percent |
| Shelby County: 11.3 percent | Washington County: 14.7 percent |
| Spencer County: 11.2 percent | Clark County: 12.7 percent |
| Bullitt County: 12.9 percent | Floyd County: 12.4 percent |
| Henry County: 15.6 percent | |
| Trimble County: 15.3 percent | |
| Carroll County: 16.8 percent |
As the need to access nutritious food increases, multiple partners in each county are stepping up to the plate and meeting neighbors where they are. In 2023, Dare to Care distributed more than 20 million pounds of food through pantries, mobile markets, shelters and other partners.
Understanding our neighbors
Who faces hunger in our community?
It’s 7 a.m. on a Monday when the frost starts to thaw on a car driving home from the overnight shift at a Bullitt County factory. The woman behind the wheel normally stops to pick up a quick meal for her family but the price of food, even fast food, is increasing to a level she can’t afford. She gets home and pulls a box of mac and cheese from the cupboard. She and her two daughters had ramen noodles the night before, and there is nothing else in the pantry.
On Tuesday, she’ll be able to get healthy, nutritious food for her family through Dare to Care. She waits in line at her local church and starts thinking of the ways she’ll make this food last. Behind her in line, there are more families with similar stories: A grandmother supporting three grandchildren alone in the wake of her husband’s death, a cancer survivor whose access to nutritious food is critical and a father working full-time and still unable to meet the rising price of food to support his family. While each person and their stories are unique, they are not rare.
in Dare to Care’s 13-county network experience food insecurity.
1 in 5 children in Kentuckiana are food insecure
After a decade-long decline in food insecurity among children, the number rose for the third consecutive year in 2022. Across the nation, households with children experienced a significant increase in food insecurity while coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
in Dare to Care’s 13-county network experience food insecurity.
20% of people in Kentuckiana are food insecure
That means one in every eight of our neighbors is unable to secure enough food to meet their needs; that is 167,950 people in total. The number of people affected by hunger in our communities could fill the YUM! Center, Freedom Hall and the University of Louisville Football Stadium combined.
Demand grows …
… as support shrinks
The pandemic established a new level of food insecurity in our communities and its impact has not receded, while funding sources have noticeably decreased.
Creating a hunger-free community
Kentuckiana’s interconnected communities are picking up the slack to make up for funding shortfalls, with Dare to Care leading the way. The food bank takes a four-pronged approach in which it acts as a central hub, generating support and resources to distribute across a 13-county region and a network of more than 300 partners.
The first step is securing nutritious food. Through local and national donors and community food drives, Dare to Care secures millions of pounds of food each year. The organization itself also purchases food items to fill gaps. The third step involves sorting and distributing the food across Kentuckiana, ensuring the highest food safety standards are met during the process. From emergency kitchens to clinics and from partnering agencies to pantries, numerous organizations receive food and other resources from Dare to Care to provide to neighbors in need. The last step is the most crucial, with thousands of neighbors directly receiving healthy, nutritious food.
Make the difference before it’s too late
On Thanksgiving Eve in 1969, nine-year-old Bobby Ellis died of malnutrition in his Louisville home. A stunned Kentuckiana community took action and created Dare to Care Food Bank to ensure that no one in our community lacks enough food to live an active, healthy life. That mission rests on the shoulders of every generation that’s followed Bobby Ellis’s passing.
You can play an important role in ending hunger
Check in on your friends and family
As we enter the holiday season, you’ll have more opportunities to check in with family and friends. The underlying causes of food insecurity – unemployment, poverty and inconsistent access to food – are often difficult to address or solve without help from others. Making a connection and sharing a resource can be simple.
Grow your knowledge of available resources and solutions
More than 300 partners in Kentuckiana are on a zero-hunger mission. They are strategically located to engage every corner of our communities, from English Indiana, through the heart of Louisville to Carlton Kentucky. Dare to Care offers an interactive map to find local resources, their Facebook page also offers consistent updates on changes to local resources.
Become a Dare to Care Ambassador
Dare to Care and its partners work to empower people to share their collective mission and educate others on food insecurity in our communities. You can attend one of our events, volunteer with your friends and family, host a food or fund drive, host your own event, and get your business involved to offer additional support to our neighbors.
Donate to Dare to Care Food Bank
This is one of the most needed sources of support at Dare to Care Food Bank. When you donate, you’re giving Dare to Care the ability to purchase the most needed items to support the nutritional needs of our communities. Crucial programs like senior meals and prescriptive pantry require specifically tailored diets and foods to support the wellbeing of vulnerable community members. A donation to Dare to Care, no matter the size, is a commitment to a healthier, stronger community.
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