Hickman County was established in 1821. Despite being almost 200 years old, the county is still one of the least populated in the state. In fact, in terms of population density, it ranks at the very bottom.1 Unfortunately, the lack of people does not prevent Hickman County from facing some of the same issues as their more populated counterparts. Issues like hunger.
Hickman County is one of the 42 counties served by Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland (FAKH). According to a Feeding America study, approximately 1 in 7 people living in Hickman County (14.2%) are food-insecure.2 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. To help alleviate this uncertainty, there are several programs in Clinton and in outlying parts of the county which provide a reliable, consistent source of food for these individuals and their families. These programs are run by the Purchase Area Development District (PADD), which is the Partner Distributing Organization (PDO) that operates under FAKH in western Kentucky.
We currently work with 1 partner agency in Hickman County:
Mission House
Through our partnership with PADD and Mission House, struggling individuals and families are able to fill their pantries and tables with various food items. Additional programs to support those in the community who are more vulnerable are also available. Each month over 100 seniors are provided with a box of food 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 30 students who often rely on the school meals they receive during the week as a main source of nourishment.
We are incredibly grateful for all that PADD and Mission House are doing to fight hunger in western Kentucky. But there is still a lot to be done. Even citizens in counties with lower populations deserve to know where their next meal will come from. Together, we can work to make this a reality for everyone.
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickman_County,_Kentucky
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