ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. – From July 19-23, Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland will host a week-long concerted fundraising effort to raise money for children on the BackPack Program in each participating county, including Ohio County, the organization announced. For food-insecure children on the program, bags of 12-14 easy-to-prepare food items are placed discreetly in their backpacks each Friday school is in session.
“Nearly one in five children in our service area face hunger,” said Jamie Sizemore, FAKH executive director. “That’s why it’s so important to support the BackPack Program, which provides food for these kids to hold them over on the weekend when they aren’t receiving breakfast and lunch at school.”
Each participating county will organize an online fundraiser that directly supports their specific BackPack Program. FAKH will host a Greatest Needs fundraiser and donations raised will go to the county most in need of funding.
Kroger’s Zero Hunger/Zero Waste Foundation will match each donation, dollar for dollar, up to $20,000 for the week of July 19-23. In addition, Jack Henry & Associates have provided $1,500 to be used as prize money awarded to the top five counties that raise the most funds, the county with the highest number of unique donors, and the most creative county, as determined by FAKH staff and based on promotion efforts.
“We’re fortunate to have the support of so many organizations like Kroger and Jack Henry & Associates,” Sizemore said. “Partnerships like these allow us to better provide for food-insecure individuals in the community, and will allow these BackPack Programs to help even more children.”
All participating county fundraisers can be found at feedingamericaky.fenly.org/drives/. To the Ohio County Food Pantry’s Backpack Program, click here.
The fundraiser begins at 8 a.m. Monday morning, July 19, and lasts until 5 p.m. Friday afternoon, July 23.
“Any donation will make a difference in the lives of these kiddos,” Sizemore said. “You’ll not only be filling their bellies, but also their minds because it’s so hard to learn on an empty stomach.”
For more information on how you can help the Ohio County Food Pantry, call 270-363-0032 or visit the Ohio County Food Pantry’s Facebook page. The Ohio County Food Pantry is open from 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays and from 9-11 a.m. the second Saturday of each month.