By Dominic Manecke, Building Kentucky

Feeding Kentucky and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid teamed up to launch a collaboration to restock food bank shelves and replenish food supplies across western Kentucky communities affected by devastating tornadoes last month.
Anthem donated $200,000 to Feeding Kentucky, a statewide food bank network of more than 800 local food pantries and shelters, reaching an estimated one in seven Kentuckians each year. With this donation, Feeding Kentucky will allocate funds to individual food banks across the Commonwealth where and when they are needed most.
“We are proud to support our friends at Feeding Kentucky to ensure that our most vulnerable, fellow Kentuckians can access food and healthy meals,” said Leon Lamoreaux, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid President in Kentucky. “For over 80 years now, Anthem has actively worked to improve lives and communities across the Commonwealth. As part of this ongoing commitment, we are pleased to help ensure families throughout western Kentucky can get the nutrition they need as they continue to rebuild.”
For each dollar donated by Anthem, Feeding Kentucky provides at least ten complete meals. The funding will provide a minimum of one million meals. Anthem will also join with local food banks to offer health education classes and provide volunteers.
“Feeding Kentucky is excited to unite with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid in our effort to provide meals to those Kentuckians who need it most,” said Katrina Thompson, Executive Director of Feeding Kentucky. “This collaboration supports local food banks so that they can directly address the nutritional needs of those who have been disproportionately affected by the recent tornado devastation across western Kentucky. These funds provide a critical safety net of more than one million meals for those families and individuals most in need.”
Since the start of the pandemic, Anthem has donated over $2.2 million to Kentucky food insecurity efforts. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky is available at www.anthem.com.