News
Lexington High School Students Collect More Than 17,000 Pounds of Food in Fayette Food Frenzy
Eight Lexington high schools joined forces this spring to compete in the first-ever Fayette Food Frenzy competition and collected a combined 17,745 pounds of food and $2,427 to help stock God’s Pantry Food Bank’s four emergency food pantries in Fayette County.
Previously the high schools had competed as part of two separate drives – a public school food drive in the fall and a private school drive in the spring. This year, the Food Bank worked with students in the Leadership Lexington Youth program to design a drive for the county’s high school students in hopes of increasing food donations from the group. Last year, all high schools brought in just over 15,000 pounds of food.
Sayre Upper School took home first-place honors in the Fayette Food Frenzy, donating 27.2 pounds per student with a total of 5,268 pounds and $125. Lexington Catholic High School came in second, donating 5,336 pounds and $681 or 8.4 pounds per student. Lafayette High School finished third, donating 2.6 pounds per student (1,930 pounds and $1,587) and Lexington Christian Academy was fourth with 2.2 pounds per student (860 pounds).
The Fayette Food Frenzy was generously sponsored by Whitaker Bank.
The food drive kicked off on February 14 and ran through early April. Participating schools included Bryan Station High School, Dunbar High School, Henry Clay High School, Lafayette High School, Lexington Catholic High School, Lexington Christian Academy, Sayre Upper School and Tates Creek High School.
All schools with grades K-8 participated in the Kids Can Hunger drive in October, which provided more than 84,000 pounds of food to the Food Bank’s four emergency food pantries in Lexington.
More than 20 students in the 2012 Leadership Lexington Youth helped Food Bank staff beginning in December and the group picked the time frame for the food drive, named the event and shared ideas on ways to promote the drive within their respective schools.
The Food Bank hopes to continue to grow this food drive in the future.
“There are high school food drives in this country which collect nearly a million pounds of food for their local food bank,” Mandy Brajuha, external relations director, said. “We know that the high schools in Lexington can do better and we’re looking forward to shattering this year’s total in 2013.”
If you are interested in helping work on this event in the future, please email Mandy Brajuha or call 859-288-5324.
Volunteers Needed June 23 for Children's Charity Golf Classic
Each year, the Children’s Charity Fund of the Bluegrass holds a celebrity golf tournament to benefit nonprofit organizations that positively affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in Central Kentucky. Since its launch more than 30 years ago, the Children’s Charity Golf Classic has raised more than $6 million for more than 30 charities.
As a recipient of some of these funds, God’s Pantry Food Bank will be providing a few volunteers at this year’s event on Saturday, June 23. Our volunteers will be stationed at Greenbrier Golf & Country Club (off Winchester Road past I-75) from 8 to 11 a.m. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and should be comfortable working outdoors. This event will count toward any community service requirement and verification forms can be signed by God’s Pantry Food Bank staff the week following the event. A complimentary t-shirt will be provided that you should wear the day of the event with pants or shorts (jean, white, or khaki).
If you’d like to volunteer, please e-mail Hillary Bullock, Volunteer Services Assistant, with your name, phone number, e-mail address, and t-shirt size.
The Best of the Bluegrass Honored at the 2012 Taste
The finest food and drinks in Central Kentucky were represented this past weekend at the 32nd annual Taste of the Bluegrass, presented by God’s Pantry Food Bank and the Kentucky Restaurant Association’s Bluegrass Chapter. Winners were selected in nine categories in both a Judges’ Best and a People’s Choice vote.
This year’s Judges’ Best winners included a Best Entrée win for Sal’s McCarty’s Medallions. Best Appetizer/Soup went to Giuseppe’s Ristorante Italiano for its Lump Crab Cake. The Soup Kitchen earned Best Bread for its Brown Bread and this year’s Best Dessert honor went to Sullivan University for its Local Strawberry Pavlova.
The award for Best Non-Alcoholic Beverage went to Pepsi-Cola Bottling for its Orange Crush Ice Cream Float. The Best Beer was given to West Sixth Brewing for its West Sixth IPA and Southern Wine & Spirits (American Division) took home Best Liquor for its Skinny Girl Pretty in Pink cocktail. Southern Wine & Spirits (Starz Division) won Best Wine for its Primal Roots Red Blend offering.
Judges for this year’s contest included LEX 18’s Chris Sutter and Adam Baker, Chris Bailey and Stacy Ellison from WKYT-TV and Doug High and Lauren Gawthrop from WTVQ-TV. Radio personalities “Dead Air” Dennis Dillon (WKQQ), Dave “Kruser” Krusenklaus (WVLK), “Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens (98.1 The Bull), Dick Gabriel (SportsTalk on 630 WLAP) and John Wells (Central Kentucky’s Christian Radio) were on hand tasting and rating. Mike Doyle and Gene Guinn from Clear Channel Radio, Linda Hinchcliffe from Business Lexington and Brigitte Nguyen (The Cooking Channel) rounded out the panel.
In the People’s Choice vote, Louisiana Passion again won for Best Appetizer/Soup, while Great Harvest Bread took home Best Bread for its Powerhouse Bread. The Fresh Market won Best Salad for its Caprese Salad and Sal’s again won Best Entrée for the McCarty’s Medallions. GiGi’s Cupcakes won Best Dessert in a close race and Pepsi nabbed Best Non-Alcoholic Beverage again for the Orange Crush Ice Cream Float. Best Alcoholic Beverage honors went to Four Roses Bourbon for its Rose ‘Rita. Four Roses also won in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011.
She Bakes Cakes was named the Best Decorated Food Booth for the second consecutive year and Four Roses took home yet another win for Best Decorated Beverage Booth.
The Best Kentucky Proud Food Award was given to Sullivan University for the Local Strawberry Pavlova and the Best Kentucky Proud Beverage Award went to Lover’s Leap Winery for its Peach Bellini. The selection list included items featuring primarily Kentucky Proud ingredients.
Lynne Fitzgerald of Lexington was the winner of the door prize drawing this year, receiving gift certificates for dinner at Lexington’s best restaurants.
More than 1,200 people attended this year’s event, held at the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center at Keeneland.
May Donor Spotlight: Faith Feeds
Never doubt the impact a small group of committed people can have on a problem. Since its inception in 2009, Faith Feeds, which had 125 volunteers in 2011, has rescued 112,000 pounds of produce from potential waste and instead, put it in the hands of hungry Kentuckians.
The idea for what is now Faith Feeds began with John Walker in 2009. Walker, an avid gardener, knew that even for the casual vegetable grower, when August comes the zucchini and tomatoes can be overwhelming. He also knew that many people in our community don’t have the money or accessibility to get such quality produce.
Walker approached Erica Horn who had volunteered at her church, Beaumont Presbyterian, to help coordinate their community garden.
“I didn’t know anything about gardening,” said Erica. “But I did know my skill set was in managing things and people and I felt it was just such an important idea for the church.”
Walker and Horn merged their expertise and energy and coordinated a small group of folks who began donating their personal garden excesses and, when the opportunity presented itself, rally to glean from larger properties such as local orchards or farmers who have the bounty, but not necessarily the manpower to put the surplus to good use. Gleaning simply means to gather what has been left over after a primary harvest.
During the 2011 growing season, Faith Feeds gleaned at both the Lexington and Bluegrass Farmers markets multiple days a week, giving farmers an easy way to donate unsold items. That has already started for the 2012 season. Last year Faith Feeds made 201 trips carrying everything from apples to zucchini to organizations like the Hope Center, Moveable Feast, the Kids Cafe at the East Seventh Street Community Center, and God’s Pantry Food Bank. Their first delivery to the food bank this year was 338 pounds of gorgeous lettuce in late March.
“It doesn’t matter what your faith background is, you can rally around feeding people,” said Erica. “You can have no faith background and rally around feeding people. I like that rallying point and the excitement of people when they get the food.”
Faith Feeds has volunteer opportunities for families, singles, and people of all ages. Their website, www. Faithfeedslex.org, lists all of the agencies that benefit from their work, details of free gardening classes, and information about hunger in Kentucky. They are particularly in need of volunteers who are available during business hours.
“It’s a win-win situation when a volunteer picks up food that would otherwise go to waste and takes it to someone who is hungry,” said Erica. “That’s what we’re all about.”
God’s Pantry Food Bank to Offer Free Summer Meals for Children
School may be taking a summer holiday but hunger doesn’t. God’s Pantry Food Bank is working to make sure that no children in Fayette County go hungry while school is closed this summer by participating in the US Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
The Summer Food Service Program is the largest federal resource available for local programs that combine mealtime with recreational and educational activities.
“Many school-aged children who receive free and reduced price meals during the school year do not get enough to eat when school is out,” said Marian Guinn, CEO of God’s Pantry Food Bank. “Through participation in the Summer Food Service Program, God’s Pantry Food Bank can expand the free meals offered at our Kids Cafe sites in order to make sure children have access to nutritious meals through the summer months.”
Meals will be provided to all children (18 and younger) without charge and are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. Meals will be provided at the sites and times as follows:
- Lexington Public Library – Village Branch
2185 Versailles Road, Lexington, KY 40504
June 4 – July 27, 2012
Monday – Friday
Lunch: 12-1 p.m.
Snack: 4:30-5 p.m.
- West End Community Empowerment Project
498 Georgetown St. Lexington, Ky. 40508
June 1 – August 14, 2012
Monday – Friday
Breakfast: 8-9 a.m.
Lunch: 12-1 p.m.
- Embrace Church
1015 North Limestone Lexington, Ky. 40508
June 4 – July 26, 2012
Monday – Thursday
Lunch: 1-1:30 p.m.
- East Seventh St. Community Center
240 East Seventh St. Lexington, Ky. 40508
June 4 – July 26, 2012
Monday – Thursday
Lunch: 12-12:30 p.m.
- Shiloh Baptist Church VBS Program
237 E. Fifth St. Lexington, Ky. 40508
June 18 – 22, 2012
Dinner: 5-6 p.m.
- Consolidated Baptist Church
1625 Russell Cave Rd. Lexington, Ky. 40505
June 6 – August 8
Wednesdays
Dinner: 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
God’s Pantry Food Bank expects to serve more than 6,200 meals through its SFSP sponsored programs this summer.
To file a complaint of discrimination, write or call immediately to:
USDA Director, Office of Adjudication; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW; Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or Call toll free (866) 632-9992 (Voice). Individuals who are hearing impaired or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.