Kentucky Power and WYMT are partnering up again to present the third annual Power Up the Pantry event. The goal of this food donation and fundraiser is to replenish depleted area food pantries in Kentucky.
The daylong event is planned for August 25 from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. with three drop off locations where collected non-perishable food and charitable gifts will benefit community agencies in the state served by God’s Pantry Food Bank and Facing Hunger Food Bank.
Drop off locations will be at the Appalachian Regional Healthcare Medical Mall off Black Gold Boulevard in Hazard; in Ashland’s Central Park at end of Chuck Woolery Boulevard; and at the Kentucky Power Service Center in Coal Run off U.S. Route 23 near Pikeville.
Kentucky Power external affairs manager, Bob Shurtleff, said everyone is invited to join the effort by collecting donations through their employer or community groups and customers.
“The need to replenish the food banks is even greater now since the recent flood devastation in several of our eastern Kentucky counties. More people than ever before are relying on their local food pantries,” Shurtleff said. “This is a critical time for all to give back in our communities and help our food pantries provide for those in need.”
Past Power Up the Pantry events have collected more than $18,000 and 13,000 pounds of food which equates to 18,500 meals for those suffering from food insecurities.
“Food insecurity rates reach as high as 16 percent for adults and 22 percent for children in some Kentucky counties,” said Facing Hunger’s CEO, Cynthia Kirkhart. “The partnership we have with Kentucky Power sparks community support and enables us respond to the need.”
God’s Pantry supplies more than 400 food pantries and meal programs in central and eastern Kentucky. Facing Hunger, based in Huntington, W.Va., serves food pantries in Boyd, Greenup, Lawrence and Martin counties. Checks can be made payable to God’s Pantry Food Bank or Facing Hunger Food Bank. For questions, email info@facinghunger.org or info@godspantry.com.
Kentucky Power, headquartered in Ashland, provides service to 165,000 customers in 20 eastern Kentucky counties and is an operating company in the American Electric Power system, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States.