By Lucie ChandlerWoodford Sun Staff
This week, the Woodford County Community Fund (WCCF) awarded two grants to address chronic hunger in the community: $10,000 to the Food Pantry for Woodford County and $10,000 to the Woodford County Public Schools’ Food Service Department to cover the costs of outstanding meal account balances.“This comes at a really good time,” said Courtney Quire, food services director for Woodford County Schools.
“We have received donations from people in the community, but those funds were nearly depleted. There are many families that have need, but don’t qualify for free or reduced meals.”The food pantry also counts on local support. “Woodford County has a spirit of generosity that never fails to inspire me,” said Ashley Jackson, executive director of Food Pantry for Woodford County. “Our neighbors show up for one another, proving that compassion runs deep here. And this grant comes . . . during a most crucial time.”Timing played a major role in the grants, according to Bob Rouse, WCCF co-chair.
“Our board members have been working all year to identify ways we can address chronic hunger in Woodford County,” he said.
“We had already selected these two programs as worthy recipients, but with SNAP benefits at risk, we sped things up and wrote big checks.”As an endowed community fund, WCCF is a permanent resource for current and future Woodford residents.
WCCF is managed by its umbrella organization, Blue Grass Community Foundation, and the local fund has sponsored a variety of projects and programs since its founding in 2015. WCCF has three touchstones of community support: health, hope, and hometown pride.“Having enough to eat is a very real concern for many people in our community, and the SNAP scare is a reminder of how easily a family’s budget can unravel,” Rouse said. “My hope is that others in the community will join us in giving to the food pantry (woodfordfoodpantry.org/donations) or to the Woodford County Public School district’s food services (courtney.quire@woodford.kyschools.us or (859) 879-4600, ext. 2236). I also hope people will keep giving to the community fund, because we will keep working with local organizations to solve problems.”To learn more about the Woodford County Community Fund, visit bgcf.org/woodford. Or call Jane Higgins, BGCF’s liaison to WCCF, at (859) 721-2349.