Food Services

FOOD PANTRY

CAP’s food pantry provides supplemental food items to eligible families and individuals in Eastern Kentucky. Children and the elderly remain among the most food insecure and are the most adversely affected by the lack of food in the region. Many families are unable to afford the most basic groceries and must often choose between purchasing food and providing safe, warm, and dry homes or health care for their families. CAP helps fill the gap to ensure everyone has access to essential food and necessities.

COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM

Low-income elderly persons (ages 60 and above) benefit from the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). Senior citizens living in poverty are at a special risk of malnutrition, and these commodities are specifically designed to lower that risk.

BACKPACK PROGRAM

Through the Backpack Program, CAP (alongside local schools and partner organizations) provides nutritious weekend meals and snacks to children who have been identified as food-insecure and who may otherwise go hungry.

SUMMER FEEDING PROGRAM

CAP is a sponsor of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), an initiative of the Kentucky Department of Education established to ensure that children in low-income families continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. For more than two decades, CAP has been a sponsoring organization for the program, working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to make certain that children do not go hungry. Twenty-two percent of children in the state are considered food-insecure. Without the almost 2.5 million meals served annually through the SFSP and sponsors like CAP, these children would not be guaranteed their next meal.

Both of CAP’s summer camps participate in the SFSP initiative – almost 80 percent of CAP campers meet the state eligibility requirements. Every child is served 13 nutritious meals and seven snacks each week of camp.

GARDEN SEED PROGRAM

The seed program seeks to connect people with the resources they need to grow and sustain their own gardens. Seeds, plants, canning supplies, and educational resources are made available to participants, many of whom use their harvest to feed their families, their neighbors, and other people in need in their community.