LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Dare to Care Food Bank, Kentuckiana’s non-profit leader in food security, welcomed foodies, friends and derby fanatics to the 35th annual Taste of Derby Festival, raising a record $190,000 to support the community. These funds will support Dare to Care’s network of 300 food pantries, shelters and kitchens to address the growing needs of more than 126,000 people experiencing food insecurity in the region.
For more than 50 years, Dare to Care has been a leader in Kentuckiana’s efforts to fight hunger through programs targeting the most vulnerable in our community. In the past year, Dare to Care distributed more than 20 million meals in eight Kentucky and five Indiana counties.
“The needs of our community are growing, and community support is vital to conquering this cycle of need,” Dare to Care President and CEO Vincent James said. “Derby season is a time of tremendous pride in our community and thanks to this support more of our neighbors will have access to nutritious food to meet their needs.”
This year, a record number of vendors and community members joined Dare to Care’s mission. 89 separate vendors shared their delicious food and drinks with more than 1,000 ticketholders to raise funds and support the community facing food insecurity. From repeat supporters like Volare and presenting sponsor, Brown Forman to new restaurants like FOKO and Osteria Italian Seafood, Louisville’s globally-recognized food scene showed its local impact by joining forces to celebrate this worthy event and support our community.
The number of people living in food-insecure households is growing. In the U.S. 1 in 7 people, including 1 in 5 children live in food-insecure households, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is the largest single-year increase (from 2021 to 2022) that our nation has seen since the Great Recession, and it parallels the trend Dare to Care is experiencing locally.
Dare to Care and its partners work to empower people to share their collective mission and educate others on food insecurity in our communities. You can attend an event, volunteer with your friends and family, host a food or fund drive, host your own event, and get your business involved to offer additional support to your neighbors. You can make a direct impact now by donating, giving Dare to Care the ability to purchase the most needed items to support the nutritional needs of our communities. A donation to Dare to Care, no matter the size, is a commitment to a healthier, stronger community.
