The Face of the Food Bank in Floyd County
God’s Pantry Food Bank began with one woman’s vision and one woman’s action. In 1955, Mim Hunt began the work of feeding the hungry in her community on her own, but was soon joined by others who believed in what she was trying to accomplish. In 1979, the Food Bank hired its first employee, and now we are a team of nearly 60 individuals dedicated to fighting hunger across 50 counties in Central and Eastern Kentucky.
While that very first employee is no longer with the Food Bank, several of our staff have been a part of the organization for decades. The team member with the longest tenure is Debbie Amburgey, the face of the Food Bank in Prestonsburg.
Debbie joined the Food Bank in October 1987 at its first facility outside of Lexington. Prior to opening the Prestonsburg warehouse, the only location where food could be delivered by donors and vendors or picked up by our partner pantries and meal programs was in Fayette County. This necessitated a drive of two or more hours to make food available in counties like Pike, Knott, Martin, and others in the eastern part of the state.
Debbie was hired and worked alone for a year accepting and managing deliveries to nearly 60 partner agencies in Prestonsburg and the surrounding area. Our first Floyd County location opened in a building owned by Christian Appalachian Project, and Debbie’s only tools were a pallet jack, a plywood ramp, and carbon paper for copies.
The equipment has gotten more sophisticated and the staff at the Prestonsburg Warehouse has expanded, but some things stay the same. One of Debbie’s first customers, Norene Amburgey, is still a regular on Mondays, picking up product for Omaha Bible Church Pantry in Pine Top.
“I really thank the Lord for her,” said Noreen. “She has concern for people and she has really helped us through it. I love her.”
Debbie says people like Noreen are the reason she loves her job.
“It’s the people,” she explains. “Until you get involved in something like this you don’t realize what’s happening in your area.”
Debbie has done everything from painting to publicity in her 33 years with the Food Bank. She credits word of mouth and local media partners WYMT and the Floyd County Chronicle for spreading the word about the Food Bank in Eastern Kentucky. “Every time they didn’t have a story to get to, they’d come to me,” says Debbie.
And share the mission of the Food Bank she does! Team members like Debbie, who are committed to the work of the Food Bank and treat everyone they encounter with dignity and respect, are the reason we are celebrating 65 years of
