Food insecurity rises dramatically across the U.S., Kentuckiana
By Tom Lally, Building Kentucky The number of people living in food insecure households in the United States grew drastically in 2022. In the U.S. 1 in 7 people, including 1 in 5 children live in food insecure households, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In total, 44 million […]
Critical behavior and mental health services coming to Louisville schools, neighborhoods
By Jamie Johnson, Building Kentucky LOUISVILLE, KY. – Maryhurst, Kentucky’s longest-operating child welfare agency, announced today a new, thee-year grant totaling $450,000 from Kentucky Association of Health Plans (KAHP), the trade association representing commercial insurers and Medicaid managed care organizations in the Commonwealth. The grant supports the growth and operation of Maryhurst’s Renewal program, a […]
Q&A: Sitting down with Maryhurst’s Demarco Harris
By Quin Welch, Building Kentucky With a passion for destigmatizing mental health and making treatment resources more equitable in Louisville amongst youth and underserved populations, Demarco Harris is changing lives every day in his role as the Community Partner Manager for Maryhurst’s Renewal program. Having just been awarded the University of Louisville’s Dean’s Scholarship for […]
Louisville Congressman Morgan McGarvey tours Dare to Care facility ahead of 2023 Farm Bill renewal
By Lilli Dubler, Building Kentucky Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-Louisville) toured Dare to Care’s Louisville facility and got a firsthand look at its day-to-day operations ahead of the Farm Bill renewal this December. McGarvey plans to propose an increase in nutrition programming for the 2023 Farm Bill, using Dare to Care as an example for how […]
Lexington’s new “Mobile Market” prepares to address food insecurity, lack of healthy food options
By Quin Welch, Building Kentucky Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton recently announced the City of Lexington’s new “Mobile Market” – a program designed to address food insecurity among residents — is preparing to hit the streets throughout Lexington beginning in July. A recommendation made by the Mayor’s Commission for Racial Justice and Equality in 2020 called […]
How to celebrate Juneteenth in Kentucky this weekend
By Marvin Bennett, Building Kentucky Many cities across the Commonwealth are preparing to celebrate Juneteenth. On June 19th, 1865, after Union troops marched through Galveston Bay, TX and successfully freed the last of the approximately 250,000 enslaved Africans from involuntary servitude, the former slaves dubbed the day Juneteenth, signifying the end of slave labor and […]
Organizers prepare for Derby Diversity Week
Derby Diversity Week (DDW) founder and Louisville Business First Power 50 2022 honoree Tawana Bain is preparing for the sixth annual Derby Diversity Week, beginning on May 1 in Louisville. DDW attracts some of the world’s top suppliers, buyers, executives and business leaders to four action packed conference days of networking and excitement, along with […]
New health campaign committed to cutting hair and cutting minority health disparities
By Quin Welch, Building Kentucky A community-based organization working hard to increase equity in health care held its first “Barber Shop Initiative” event on Saturday at Well Groomed Barber Shop in Lexington. Partnering with Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield Medicaid and other community sponsors, Project Ricochet’s Barber Shop initiative is designed to develop and […]
Want a box for Oaks or the Derby? Purchase a Maryhurst “Raffle for the Roses” ticket!
By Quin Welch, Building Kentucky If you’re looking for a chance to go to the Kentucky Oaks and/or the Kentucky Derby, enjoy free food and drinks and support Kentucky’s oldest child welfare agency, look no further. Maryhurst is raffling off two incredible prizes as Derby weekend fast approaches. Purchase a raffle ticket before April 7 […]
Op-Ed: Get Prepared Now for Medicaid Renewals, Kentucky
By Kennan Wethington, President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky When COVID-19 hit three years ago, the federal government responded with a series of actions made possible by declaring a Public Health Emergency, also called the PHE. One of these actions was to freeze a process called Medicaid renewal, allowing Medicaid members […]
Op-Ed: Ending hunger begins with addressing food inequity
By Vincent James, President and CEO of Dare to Care and Tiffany Benjamin, CEO of the Humana Foundation This piece was written by Vincent James, President and CEO of Dare to Care, and Tiffany Benjamin, CEO of the Humana Foundation. For more than 50 years, Dare to Care and our partners have worked diligently to […]
UK researchers reimagine the internet on global scale
In a world that is more virtually connected than ever, University of Kentucky (UK) researchers are working alongside a global team to push the limits of interconnectivity and what today’s Internet can support through a project called FABRIC. The National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent federal agency aimed at promoting the progress of science, awarded researchers like those […]
Kentucky’s “Community Health Champions” celebrated
The importance of public health has become even more apparent in 2020, making it a fitting time to launch an award honoring Community Health Champions in Kentucky. Last week, WellCare, the largest Medicaid provider in the state, honored nine Kentucky “Champions” for their work improving the “social determinants” of health. “Social determinants” is a phrase that […]
Kentucky small business benefits from Republic Bank’s new Community Loan Fund
Kentucky businesses are already benefiting from a loan program that launched earlier this year. Republic Bank’s $3 million Community Loan Fund has selected its first client, a small business bringing expanding healthcare access to Louisville’s West End. GObileMD applied for and received capital to bring medical services focused on wellness and prevention to an underserved community. Dr. […]
Louisville’s trees get national attention
A 2015 tree audit in Louisville found that the city was losing 54,000 trees a year – a startling number. Louisville’s efforts to respond to that discovery was featured in a recent story in The Atlantic, which used Kentucky’s largest city as an example of what is happening in urban areas around the country. The story […]