WQXE News

Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland is ramping up efforts to support Kentuckians affected by the ongoing government shutdown.

During a press conference at their Elizabethtown headquarters Thursday, the organization discussed the impact of the $5 million Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear ordered to be disbursed to Feeding America’s network of food banks as part of his state of emergency declared on October 31 after the shutdown disrupted SNAP benefits.

FAKH Executive Director Charles Dennis said the prevailing theme of the last several weeks has been “fear and uncertainty”.

“Fear from parents wanting to provide for their children, fear from our agency partners worried about having enough to meet the demand, and uncertainty for when things will change,” Dennis said.

FAKH says data shows more than 57,000 households in the organization’s 42-county service region received SNAP benefits in October.

Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman said it is likely that every Kentuckian knows or is related to somebody dependent on SNAP benefits.

“13 percent of Kentucky’s population, which is a higher percentage than the national average, receives SNAP,” Coleman said. “Over 60,000 of those are adults with disabilities. Over 92,000 of those are elderly. We also must recognize that those are not just numbers or statistics. They are human beings. They are our families, our friends, and they are fellow Kentuckians.”

FAKH received just over $1 million as part of the emergency funding to purchase and distribute food.

Learn more about how you can support the organization through donations or volunteering by visiting www.feedingamericaky.org.

Area and state officials are warning Kentuckians of recent scam attempts.

A Stop Scams Alert from Team Kentucky is alerting Kentucky residents of a new texting scam. The alert states that the text appears to offer a $250 reward to Kentucky residents who complete a survey. According to the Stop Scams team, “The sender does not identify themselves and the link is attempting to collect personal information from the recipient.” Do not click the link. Delete and report the message as junk from your mobile device if you receive it.

Meanwhile, the Elizabethtown Police Department is warning residents of a scam involving the Hardin County Detention Center. The EPD says scammers are spoofing the detention center’s phone number and claiming a friend or family member has been arrested. They tell the intended victim that due to overcrowding the subject can be released with an ankle monitor for $50. The detention center does not issue ankle monitors and does not ask for money over the phone. If you get such a phone call, hang up.

Finally, the Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Kentucky and South Central Indiana has compiled a list of recommendations for residents looking to support the victims of the UPS Flight 2976 crash. The BBB says after disasters scammers often try to pray upon the kindness of others looking to help. Visit the BBB’s website for more information.

The City of Elizabethtown is making an effort Friday to support families impacted by the government shutdown.

The city, in partnership with Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland, is hosting a food giveaway at the Pritchard Community Center.

Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory said during Monday’s city council meeting that the city is preparing enough boxes for 1,000 households.

“This body has pledged $50,000 to purchase food for Feeding America, and we’ll do it in three different installments,” Gregory said. “The first one will be this coming Friday, and then hopefully the next two Fridays after that at different locations in town, which will be announced.”

The giveaway will begin at noon, with food distributed until it runs out.

“We encourage anybody that’s struggling, or especially since we’re having the shutdown, the government shutdown, and people are losing some of their benefits, we’re going to try to compensate for that a little bit and see if we can hand out some food each Friday for the next three weeks,” Gregory said.

Council Member Julia Springsteen said more than 5,000 households in Hardin County are dependent on SNAP benefits.

“The announcement today was that they’ll only get partial funding for SNAP this month, so they’re already struggling,” Springsteen said. “They’re going to struggle a little bit more, in addition to the government workers who are going to pay, so hopefully this will help a few people in addition to the other efforts going on in the community.”

The city says no identification is needed. Residents in need can simply drive through the Pritchard Community Center parking lot beginning at noon and city employees will load the boxes into their cars.