April 25, 2017 – Edmonson County, Kentucky was formed in 1825 from land given by neighboring Barren, Hart, and Warren counties. The 308 square miles of land and water were named for Captain John Edmonson, an American Revolutionary War veteran1. However, Captain Edmonson was soon overshadowed by something hidden from plain sight, Mammoth Cave. As evidence by the fact that Mammoth Cave is the longest cave system in the world, just because something isn’t easily seen doesn’t mean that it isn’t important. Unfortunately, Mammoth Cave isn’t the only important thing “hidden” in Edmonson County.
The 2010 Census estimated the population of Brownsville and the surrounding areas to be approximately 12,1611. Of those, approximately 1 in 7 (14.5%) are food-insecure. This means that while they might not be going completely without food, they don’t always know when or where that food will come from. But this problem isn’t always easy to see. Hunger has evolved over the years to take on many looks: a single mom working to provide for her family, a senior citizen trying to stretch their monthly check to cover their needs, a child going home to empty cupboards. To help address these challenges, we operate several programs in Edmonson County to provide a reliable, consistent source of food for these individuals and their families.
Through partnerships, we are not only able to help individuals and families fill their pantries and tables with various food items, but we also have programs that support those in the community who are more vulnerable.
Each month more than 240 seniors are provided with a box of food through the CSFP Program. This government commodities program helps support those who are 60 and older that struggle to meet all of their own needs, usually because of a limited income. In addition, the BackPack Program provides weekend food to over 100 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 Edmonson County and all that they are doing to fight hunger in their community. But there is still a lot to be done. Although the county is one of just two in the United States without a standard, three-color stop light2, together we can work towards putting a stop to hunger.
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