Despite only having a population of about 12,500 people, Caldwell County is home to a handful of important food related businesses. These include the Kentucky Soybean Association, Bremnar Inc., North America’s largest private label cookie and cracker manufacturer, and Newsom’s Aged Kentucky Country Ham. 1 However, even with all of these local resources, hunger continues to be an issue in Princeton and the surrounding area.
Caldwell County is just one of the 42 counties served by our organization. According to a Feeding America study, approximately 1 in 6 people living in Caldwell County (15.5%) are food-insecure. This means while they might not be going completely without food, they don’t always know when or where food will come from. To help alleviate this uncertainty, there are several programs in Princeton and other parts of the county which provide a reliable, consistent source of food for these individuals and their families.
We currently have 3 partner agencies within the county:
Princeton Housing Authority
Cedar Bluff Baptist Church
Christ Tabernacle
Through these partnerships, we are not only able to help individuals and families fill their pantries and tables with various food items, but also have programs which specifically support those in the community who are more vulnerable.
Each month we provide a box of food to roughly 200 seniors through the CSFP Program. This government commodities program helps support those who are 60 and older and struggle to meet all of their own needs, usually because of a limited income. In addition, the BackPack Program provides weekend food to more than 60 students, who often rely on the school meals they receive during the week as a main source of nourishment.
We are incredibly grateful for our partner agencies in Caldwell County and all they are doing to fight hunger in their community. But there is still a lot to be done. Together, we can work to fight hunger and ensure everyone has access to the food they need all year long.
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