APPALACHIA – (Sept. 23, 2021) Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Grateful Bread Food Pantry celebrated 10 years of spotlighting food insecurity in Eastern Kentucky. The annual Hunger Walk is held each September for Hunger Awareness Month. Partnerships with local schools and businesses helped collect 13,676 pounds of food which will be used to help families in need in CAP’s service area.
“CAP’s Hunger Walk was started to make the community aware of hunger issues that people face every day. You never know who is battling hunger,” said Sherri Barnett, manager of CAP’s pantry in Rockcastle County. “People are in need of food now more than they were in the beginning of COVID. Lots of people have lost their jobs. Groceries are going up and families are feeling the stress of that more. Food insecurity is in every county. The need is great, but partnerships is one way that food pantries can meet those increased needs.”
Texas Roadhouse sponsored this year’s event which was also held in Lexington, Kentucky for the first time. The generosity of donors brought in $36,000. Funds generated from the Hunger Walk help provide food for children and their families in Rockcastle County and the surrounding communities that CAP serves.
“I can’t think of anything that would align better with Texas Roadhouse than feeding people,” said Heather Spurlock, the Vice President of Accounting and Controller for Texas Roadhouse. “When the pandemic first hit, our CEO and founder was very clear with us: our mission is to feed America and make sure that no one goes hungry. We are grateful that CAP partners with us in that mission of hope.”
Community leadership showed their support by participating in a symbolic walk in Rockcastle County including Judge Executive Howell Holbrook and Rockcastle County School Superintendent Carrie Ballinger. They were joined by CAP’s President/CEO Guy Adams, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, and God’s Pantry Food Bank CEO Mike Halligan. WKYT anchor Amber Philpott was the event emcee.
In Lexington, the entire 1,300 members of the study body of Lexington Christian Academy (LCA) walked to support the event and held a food drive. Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton thanked the students for their community service. Walkers from Rockcastle Public Schools and CAP’s symbolic walk in Mt. Vernon brought the total number of walkers to over 2,300.
“The Hunger Walk is an opportunity to teach our students that a life of service is a life worth living,” said Dr. Scott Wells, LCA’s Head of School. “If you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, nothing else really matters.”
To see a photo galleries from the event, please visit TOPS in Lexington at https://www.topsinlex.com/Photos/12772/2021+Hunger+Walk+-+Rockcastle+County and https://www.topsinlex.com/Photos/12771/2021+Hunger+Walk+-+LCA.
