Food banks in Kentucky are preparing for increased demand after new food stamp rules went into effect this week. The changes require able-bodied adults without children to work, volunteer or be in job training 20 hours a week.
Up to 9,000 people in 8 Kentucky counties could be impacted by the changes. Tri-State Food Bank in Evansville, Indiana serves Henderson and Daviess counties in Kentucky. Executive Director Glenn Roberts says Kentucky has a state program that could help meet the increasing demand. It’s called “Farms to Food Banks”, and it pays farmers for produce they can’t sell to grocery stores.
“It’s slightly imperfect, blemished, you know, the funny looking carrots or the cucumbers that have a scratch or a dent in them, but it’s perfectly good nutritious food. So rather than farmers throwing it out or plowing it under, they’ll get compensated for it just slightly below wholesale prices and then that food is distributed to food banks," Roberts says.
The Kentucky counties affected by the food stamp changes are Bullitt, Daviess, Fayette, Hardin, Henderson, Jefferson, McCracken and Warren.
