Kentucky Food Bank Saves 150K Pounds From Waste

Fresh food destined for dumpsters is instead filling refrigerators across seven Kentucky counties, thanks to volunteers who showed up to make a difference.

Feeding America Kentucky's Heartland rescued nearly 150,000 pounds of fresh food since December through its Bowling Green warehouse. The program intercepts perfectly good produce, meat, and bakery items from Sam's Club and Walmart locations before they're thrown away.

The operation has grown fast. The warehouse doubled its staff from two to four employees and added a second massive cooler-freezer to handle the surge. Drivers now pick up rescued food five days a week instead of three.

Here's what makes the program work: rescued produce is free to partner food pantries, meat costs just 19 cents per pound, and even non-food essentials like diapers run only 12 cents per pound. Before the local warehouse opened, food traveled to Elizabethtown for storage, then back to Bowling Green monthly.

Now the organization is expanding its mission with a volunteer program that assembles food boxes for low-income seniors. Teams of 12 to 20 people gather at the warehouse during morning or afternoon slots to pack boxes provided through the USDA's Commodity Supplemental Food Program.

Previously, volunteers assembled 2,049 senior food boxes monthly at the main Elizabethtown site, serving 452 Warren County seniors plus hundreds more across six other counties. Moving some assembly operations to Bowling Green frees up volunteers at the main site to tackle new programs, including specialized boxes for people managing diabetes, cancer, and medical debt.

Scott Blum manages Ephram White Gymnasium, where they distribute 75 boxes on the second Monday of each month. The waiting list stays long, and when people can't pick up their boxes, Blum calls other qualifying seniors to make sure nothing goes to waste.

"For a lot of us, we don't think about not having food on our table, but for them, I think this box helps them get through the month," Blum said.

The Ripple Effect

The local volunteering creates connections beyond just packing boxes. Teams from companies, schools, and friend groups spend their mornings discussing food insecurity with warehouse staff and learning about partner agencies like food pantries. Those conversations spark new ideas and initiatives that reach even more families.

By keeping food rescue operations local, the organization also cuts transportation waste and gets fresher food to families faster. What once traveled hours north and back now moves directly from store shelves to community tables within days.

Volunteers as young as seven can participate, turning the warehouse into a teaching space where kids learn the value of service while helping their neighbors.