Members of God’s Pantry Food Bank say cuts to food stamps included in President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill could add to an already increasing number of people who are food insecure in Kentucky.
God’s Pantry and its partners hand out food to 50 counties across central and eastern Kentucky. CEO Michael Halligan says around 280,000 people in that region are food insecure. He worries that number could get even higher because of work requirements in the bill. Those new work requirements apply for households with children aged 14 and above.
“Our volume today is double what it was 12 years ago. Today, some of the early estimates that we've seen would suggest that we have to double our volume again in three years. That's how daunting the task could be,” Halligan said.
The pantry gave out 51 million pounds of food and 42 million meals during its last fiscal year.
Halligan says he expects the pantry to be able to accommodate the increased load.
“We do that through additional volunteers. We do that through additional financial support. We do that through a variety of different activities, where we're rolling trucks with food into communities where that food needs to be distributed, so that people can get the nourishment that they need to be able to grow and thrive,” he said.
Those interested in volunteering or donating, or those in need of food, can visit their website.
