Donation From Amazon CEO Bezos Gives Boost To Local Feeding America Cause

COVID-19 Response Effort Helps Locals

photo: Feeding America, Kentucky's Heartland

Darren Doyle, story:​
In April 2020, the Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund received a generous gift from Jeff Bezos, which allowed Feeding America to immediately disperse funds to support Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland (FAKH) and their COVID-19 response work efforts in Edmonson County and other 41 counties in the service area, according to a press release from FAKH.
 
The organization said that the grant allows the 200 network members across the United States to support the front line costs of the regional food banks and its partner agencies, while serving those in need during this time of uncertainty and to address future food insecurity concerns.

“FAKH will continue to serve those we were already serving and to those who are coming to us for the first time because of the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.” Jamie Sizemore, FAKH Executive Director and Edmonson County native said. “This generous grant will allow us to not only continue our mission, but to make sure our partner agencies, who are serving on the front lines in their local communities, are able to maintain their efforts.”

The $624,280 allocation to FAKH allows the regional food bank to credit allocations to 132 partner agencies in the form of $400,000 in food and $75,000 in other costs.  The remaining money from the grant will be used for the food bank’s increasing food distribution costs, according to the release.

Partner agencies in Edmonson County who are distributing food to those in need in their county during the COVID-19 uncertainty will receive the grant assistance. These partner agencies are The Lighthouse at Nolin Lake, St. John’s Food Pantry, and Edmonson County Community Action.

"To many of FAKH’s partner agencies which depend heavily on local community donations, the COVID-19 Response Funds come at a perfect time." the release stated.

According to FAKH, food bank and partner agencies have seen a spike in the numbers of people requesting food assistance since the middle of March from 30 to 60 percent. The numbers started to pick up dramatically after many businesses were shut down due to the COVID-19, and requests haven’t slowed yet.
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 “In just one week of April, we distributed 444,597 pounds of food, which is a record for our food bank.” said Sizemore. “While this grant is very generous and a lot of money, unfortunately, it is projected that families and senior citizens will need six months to a year to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and this food will go quickly.”