Her Kentucky Charities: God's Pantry

The holidays are over and most watercooler chat is about how much weight people gained over the break and how they need to lose weight.

Not everyone had the luxury of overindulgence.

God's Pantry is a Lexington-based food pantry that has been serving 50 central and Eastern Kentucky counties for over 50 years. Their mission is simple: to reduce hunger in Kentucky.

Some facts:

• The typical person visiting a pantry is a white female in her 40's with a family of three. She may have finished high school and if she is working is likely earning minimum wage. She doesn't own a car so she must walk, ride a bus or arrange for a ride to the pantry with family or friends.
• 50% of parents needing assistance skip meals so that their children can eat 
• 1 out of 6 report skipping meals daily
• 40% of all those served are children
• For every $10 donation, God’s Pantry Food Bank can distribute 45 meals to a family in need. A donation of $19 can provide a a family of four with a week’s supply of food.
• 161,000 pounds of food is needed MONTHLY to stock the pantries in Fayette County (Lexington) alone
• In 2011, God's Pantry distributed over 22.9 MILLION POUNDS of food, yet the demand is still growing faster than resources can meet.

Learn more about God's Pantry on their website, or on Facebook. Next time you sit down with a full belly, please consider donating to this great organization.