FRANKFORT, Ky. — Feeding Kentucky proudly celebrates 10 years of partnership with No Kid Hungry Kentucky, a national campaign led by Share Our Strength. Since 2015, the powerful nonprofit partnership has remained grounded in their shared mission: ending hunger for the 1 in 5 Kentucky children who face empty pantries.
In 2015, No Kid Hungry Kentucky was launched when former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear contributed $20,000 to match a grant from the national nonprofit Share Our Strength. That funding has since resulted in an additional $3.6 million to support community organizations and school districts implementing nutrition programs across the state, including expanding access to free summer meals for children and teens who lose access to food when school is out.
“Thanks to our strong partnership with No Kid Hungry Kentucky, we have been able to meet the needs of the families where they are by ensuring that free, nutritious meals are available for all,” said John Cain, Feeding Kentucky, Kentucky Kids Eat Program Director. “Each meal served fuels our momentum, so that every season can be a time for kids to play, grow, and have fun — not worry about where their next meal will come from.”
The two nonprofits collaborate in key areas where childhood hunger is evident – school breakfast programs, summer meals, and access to healthy nutrition at home. Over the past decade, their strategic efforts have helped feed millions of children across Kentucky, including those served by the highly successful summer meal program.
“No Kid Hungry’s partnership with Feeding Kentucky has created a strong foundation for meeting families’ needs during our first 10 years of impact, and we’re just getting started,” said Ashley Roudebush, No Kid Hungry Kentucky Program Manager. “As we look ahead, we are focused on expanding our reach and impact to ensure that even more Kentucky children can count on consistent, nutritious meals so they can grow, thrive, and simply enjoy being kids!”
Over the past 10 years, summer meal sites have seen unprecedented success thanks to No Kid Hungry Kentucky’s investment of more than $3.6 million, growing from serving 2.2 million meals in select counties, to now serving 8.1+ million in nearly all 120 Kentucky counties.
Summer meals are still available to all Kentucky children and teens, 18 years and younger until mid-August. Families can find a meal site near them by visiting the USDA Summer Meal Site Finder, No Kid Hungry’s Summer Resource Hub, or calling the USDA National Hunger Hotline between 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET at 1-866-348-6479.
No Kid Hungry Kentucky is a public-private coalition between Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign and Feeding Kentucky.
To get involved and join in on Feeding Kentucky’s mission, visit FeedingKentucky.org.
About Feeding Kentucky:
Feeding Kentucky is the state’s largest charitable response to hunger, working collectively to create a hunger-free Kentucky. Our network of seven Feeding America food banks provides food and groceries to Kentuckians facing hunger in all 120 counties. Through more than 900 partner food pantries and meal programs, we reach an estimated 1 in 7 Kentuckians each year. We focus on addressing child hunger, sourcing food from our Kentucky farmers, and advocating for policies that reflect the needs of our neighbors. Guided by our vision, we want all people in Kentucky to have access to enough food to thrive.
About No Kid Hungry:
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.
–Feeding Kentucky
