Officials with Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland and Aetna Better Health of Kentucky have announced a groundbreaking $250,000 partnership — one aimed at addressing food insecurity and improving health outcomes to under-resource communities.
The significant collaboration will launch a new initiative capable of mitigating food insecurity specifically in rural areas and diverse communities, where access to nutritious food can be difficult.
A recent study through Feeding America’s 2024 “Map the Meal Gap” revealed that nine out of 10 counties with high food insecurity in the U.S. are rural, despite rural counties only making up 62% of all U.S. counties.
Furthermore, the study reveals that Black and Latino individuals experience food insecurity rates that surpass those of Caucasians in most counties. In the FAKH service area, which is most of west Kentucky, food insecurity among Latinos reaches as high as 44% in some communities, and as high as 39% among Blacks.
FAKH Executive Director Charles Dennis noted even the daily tasks of locating and procuring healthy meals can be impossible for some individuals and families, and these measures could ease burdens.
Through this particular partnership, FAKH and Aetna will network with seven agency partners across five counties in Christian, Allen, Marion, Meade and Warren, with plans to enhance access to nutritious food resources.
It will expand FAKH’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) efforts by making culturally-preferred foods more readily available, and each agency partner will be able to provide at least 16,000 nutritious meals per month for local neighbors facing hunger.
