ASHLAND, Ky., Sept. 19, 2023 – Another successful Power Up the Pantry event is in the books for Kentucky Power and WYMT, which partner to present the annual food drive. On Thursday, food collection sites across eastern Kentucky collected nearly 4,000 pounds of nonperishable food items and more than $27,000, which benefit God’s Pantry Food Bank and eastern Kentucky community agencies served by Facing Hunger Food Bank.
Donations included the announcement of grant awards recommended by Kentucky Power to the food banks by the AEP Foundation. The AEP Foundation donated $15,000 to God’s Pantry, which supplies millions of pounds of food and fresh produce to more than 400 food pantries and meal programs in central and eastern Kentucky; and $10,000 to Facing Hunger Food Bank, based in Huntington, W.Va., which serves food pantries in Boyd, Greenup, Lawrence and Martin counties.
“We were more than pleased to announce grant awards made by the AEP Foundation to the food banks in effort to help fight the growing rate of food insecurity,” said Bob Shurtleff, Kentucky Power external affairs manager. “With this being national Hunger Awareness Month, too, we are all thinking about ways we can make a positive impact on those in need.”
According to Feeding America, AEP’s partner in the effort to end hunger through its Feeding Communities initiative, more than 30 million Americans battle hunger, including 9 million children.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t just an eastern Kentucky problem,” Shurtleff said. “Kentucky Power is doing what it can to help those in need in our service area. That’s why contributions like these made by the AEP Foundation and by all those who contributed to the food drive last week are so important – all of that stays in eastern Kentucky.”
This was the fourth annual Power Up the Pantry event. In total, the events have enabled the collection of more than 26,000 pounds of food and more than $143,000 in donations to benefit local pantries and those relying on their support.
The American Electric Power Foundation is funded by American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) and its operating subsidiaries. The Foundation provides a permanent, ongoing resource for charitable initiatives involving higher dollar values and multi-year commitments in the communities served by AEP and initiatives outside of AEP’s 11-state service area.
The Foundation focuses on improving lives through education from early childhood through higher education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math; by meeting basic needs for emergency shelter, affordable housing and the elimination of hunger; and championing social and racial justice. Other Foundation support may be offered to protect the environment, promote healthcare and safety, and enrich life through art, music and cultural heritage.
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Kentucky Power, with headquarters in Ashland, provides service to about 163,000 customers in 20 eastern Kentucky counties and is an operating company in the American Electric Power system, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States.
