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Jeffersontown food pantry feeding families through pandemic

Executive Director Marlon Cummings said the pantry at Jeffersontown Area Ministries has seen a 50% increase in need since the pandemic started.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The coronavirus pandemic has forced people who have never needed help before to reach out to local organizations. One of those organizations is now asking for the public’s help to keep our community fed.

The food pantry at Jeffersontown Area Ministries (JAM) helps around 150 people a week. Executive Director Marlon Cummings said the pantry has seen a 50% increase in need since the pandemic started.

“Food prices have gone up, gas prices go up, everything goes up except the paycheck – the paycheck doesn’t go up,” he said.

RELATED: Dare to Care opens new food bank in South Louisville

Places like the Jeffersontown Area Ministries food pantry run solely on donations – they can only give out what they take in. That’s where donations come into play.

“Our mission statement is simple: Sometimes you’re the neighbor who needs help and sometimes you’re the neighbor who wants to help,” Cummings said.

JAM is partnering with Dare to Care for Hunger Action Month, an annual initiative to make sure that local food pantries are fully stocked. According to Feeding America, roughly one in seven people in Kentucky are facing hunger.

To help meet the need, JAM is accepting donations of non-perishable food items, cleaning supplies, toiletries – pretty much anything you may need in your own home.

"You may think your one small donation doesn’t make a difference, but when you give and somebody else gives, before long, we have a community that’s giving and that’s how we get our shelves stocked,” Cummings said.

Donations are accepted year-round. For more information on how and where to donate, click here.

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