For one in six people in Kentucky’s Heartland, the daily struggle of caring for family, fulfilling a job, and managing life has an additional burden: food insecurity. This is the shared concern among the 47 million neighbors in the U.S. – including 14 million children – facing food insecurity.
At the same time, more than 90 BILLION pounds of surplus food is produced. That is perfectly good food that’s being wasted, creating greenhouse gases, and adding to the complicated state of our environment.
Here at Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland (FAKH), we’re addressing both issues through our Food Rescue Program. In fiscal year 2025, FAKH rescued 6,247,112 million pounds of food and redistributed it across our network of 200+ agency partners who then get it to our neighbors’ plates. That’s enough food to fill 70 UPS planes!*
This work is driven by partnerships with farmers, retailers and manufacturers who redirect surplus food from farms, stores and warehouses to communities in need. By using technology like MealConnect® and grants from Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Dollar General, we are moving fresh produce, dairy, and protein quickly and safely.
But it takes a community to make this work. We rely on local farmers and generous retailers to provide food while we support our network’s capacity to store and distribute it. Investments in cold storage, transportation networks, trained staff and volunteers, and logistics systems are required to run this effort at proper scale. And there’s more work to be done.
You can join us this #earthmonth by supporting our efforts to reduce waste and feed neighbors. Together, we can expand access to fresh, nutritious food while reducing waste and strengthening local food systems nationwide. To donate, visit feedingamericaky.org/donate .
*Estimate based on Boeing 757-200F payload capacity