United Way’s Campbell County Roundtable on August 26 brought together local organizations working every day to address food insecurity and connect families with the resources they need.

Representatives from Catholic Charities’ Crazy Quilt Regional Pantry, Food Life Services, and Second Harvest Food Bank shared updates on their programs, growing community needs, and the partnerships helping provide food to individuals and families throughout Campbell County.

A common theme emerged throughout the discussion: more people are seeking food assistance, including many who are reaching out for help for the first time.

Catholic Charities — Crazy Quilt Regional Pantry

Betty Ashton, Director of Crazy Quilt, and Michelle Kitts, Director of Programs for Catholic Charities, shared how the Crazy Quilt Regional Pantry is working to meet growing food needs while providing clients with greater dignity and choice.

Crazy Quilt serves as a regional pantry for Campbell County and employs a “client choice” model that allows individuals and families to select the foods that best meet their needs rather than receiving only prepackaged food boxes.

This approach can help reduce food waste while giving clients more control over the food they take home.

The pantry serves approximately 1,295 clients, with about 35% receiving food boxes. Crazy Quilt receives food through Second Harvest and other sources, including Harvesting Hope and donations from local farms.

The organization has also seen an increase in new people seeking assistance. New clients are asked to provide proof of Campbell County residency and self-report their income.

Food Life Services

Gary Mahalik shared an update on the work of Food Life Services, which provides food assistance through donated and rescued food from local grocery stores and other community partners.

Food distribution takes place Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the East Community Center.

The organization serves approximately 250 clients and depends heavily on volunteers to keep its food distribution efforts operating. This summer, volunteer participation increased by approximately 100 volunteers.

Food Life Services rescues and distributes canned goods, packaged foods, produce, proteins, and other donated food while maintaining a strong focus on safe food handling.

Like other local food programs, Food Life Services is also seeing new individuals and families seeking assistance. Clients are asked to provide proof of Campbell County residency and self-report their income.

Second Harvest and Harvesting Hope

David Green, a farmer and Harvest Committee and Board member working with Harvesting Hope, and Dev Barot of Second Harvest shared how a network of food programs and partnerships is helping address hunger across Campbell County.

Harvesting Hope helps connect donated and recovered food from farms with organizations that can distribute it to people in need.

Second Harvest also supports programs serving children and families throughout the county.

The Food for Kids Backpack Program serves more than 600 students in Campbell County, helping ensure children have access to food outside of school hours.

During the summer, Second Harvest’s feeding programs also helped bridge the gap when school meals were unavailable. More than 10,000 meals were picked up over the summer, in addition to meals families were able to take home.

Approximately 1,400 meals were provided through the Children’s Center, including 150 meals distributed during one recent week. CASA partners also assisted with meal distribution.

Second Harvest works closely with regional food pantries, including Crazy Quilt, and continues to support a move toward client-choice pantry models that allow individuals to select the foods they need.

Working Together to Meet Growing Needs

The Campbell County Roundtable highlighted both the scale of food insecurity in the community and the tremendous amount of collaboration taking place to address it.

Local food pantries, farmers, volunteers, grocery stores, nonprofits, and regional organizations are working together to rescue food, distribute meals, support children, and connect families with resources.

United Way is grateful to Catholic Charities and Crazy Quilt Regional Pantry, Food Life Services, Second Harvest, Harvesting Hope, and all of the volunteers and community partners working to make sure our neighbors have access to food and support when they need it.

By bringing organizations together, sharing information, and strengthening community partnerships, we can help build a stronger Campbell County for everyone.