Our neighbor Karen moved to Clay County from Cincinnati, Ohio. It hasn’t always been easy, but she likes the rural community she moved to nearly a decade ago. She has worked hard her entire life, and as a 67-year-old, she still works to help support her family, including her roommate’s 6-year-old grandchild who recently became under their care.
Karen knows getting nutrient-dense food is important, especially for a developing young person and for herself as a diabetic. But it is challenging to access healthy food on a tight budget that’s already stretched.
Thankfully, a God’s Pantry Food Bank partner food pantry at Manchester Adventist Community Services has been there to support her and hundreds of other neighbors in Clay County.
“It’s more expensive [in a rural community], especially the items that you need—fresh fruits, fresh vegetables. I like eggs, and I need them for cooking, but they’ve [become] so expensive. And protein—nice lean meat is so expensive, period. Without the pantry, [these foods] would not be there as much as they are. [The pantry] also gives me some new vegetables I can try; I can’t afford to actually try something new.”
The impact of the pantry’s work is farther reaching than they know. Karen, knowing that a nourished life is a thriving life, makes it a point to help her neighbors who are also experiencing food insecurity. “If I have more than I can use, I share with elderly neighbors who can’t get out. So, the pantry helps many people, and people are healthier, and healthier people have better lives.”
After reflecting on how the Food Bank’s distributions of fresh food to her local pantry impacts her own life, she shared, “I’m healthier and I’m not so consumed about being able to get as many groceries. When you’re not as worried about how much food you’re going to get or if you’re going to get enough, it’s a lot easier. You’re not as stressed.”
We are so thankful that we’ve been able to help Karen have a sense of relief by increasing her household’s access to a diet that truly supports them. God’s Pantry Food Bank believes food is a human right, especially the nutritious items that we all need.
And we are dedicated to supporting neighbors like Karen until there is a nourished life for every Kentuckian. Thank you for being apart of this movement of neighbors helping neighbors to reduce hunger and build healthier communities in Central and Eastern Kentucky.
