Feeding America and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid announced Tuesday the launch of a collaboration to restock food bank shelves and replenish food supplies in communities across western Kentucky that were affected by devastating tornadoes last month.
Executive Director Katrina Thompson with Feeding America says Anthem donated $200,000 to Feeding Kentucky, a statewide food bank network of over 800 local food pantries and shelters, reaching an estimated one in seven Kentuckians each year. With this donation, she says Feeding Kentucky will allocate funds to individual food banks across the state where and when they are needed most. Thompson indicates since the start of the pandemic, Anthem has donated over $2.2 million to food insecurity efforts in the commonwealth.
According to Thompson, each dollar donated by Anthem helps Feeding Kentucky to provide at least ten complete meals. She says the funding will provide a minimum of one million meals. Additionally, she notes Anthem will also join with local food banks to offer health education classes and provide volunteers.
Thompson says Feeding America is excited to unite with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid in their effort to provide meals to those Kentuckians who need it the most. She went on to say this collaboration supports local food banks so that they can directly address the nutritional needs of those who have been disproportionately affected by the recent tornado devastation across western Kentucky. Thompson says these funds will provide a critical safety net of more than one million meals for those families and individuals most in need.
