United Way of Southern Kentucky distributes food to local pantries

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – United Way of Southern Kentucky continues to address food insecurity in our area.

Every year at the end of March, its Feed the Need project has volunteers in local grocery stores collecting donations of food and money to restock local pantries after the winter months.

On Tuesday at the House on the Hill facilities, the pantries came to collect those supplies to keep their efforts going.

Susan Crabbe, president of St. Joseph’s Food Pantry, says, “The last three years, we’ve gone from serving 40 families a week to last time we had 86. And it’s not…it’s the working poor, the majority of what we serve are working poor or people on Social Security.”

Erin Caudill, community engagement manager with United Way of Southern Kentucky, says, “We always make it a point to share with the shoppers that the food that they collect in this county stays in this county. So, you know, it’s close to home, it stays local. You know, you’re helping your friends and family.”

Ten local pantries stocked up. United Way operates the local 211 service, where people can call in to find resources for their needs.

The nonprofit says that many are asking for food. This year, the Feed the Need program brought in around 60,000 food items.