How has COVID-19 Affected Glean Kentucky?

We hope everyone is staying healthy at home. For those who have to work outside, especially to our essential workers, we are thinking of you and appreciate your hard work!

Glean Kentucky has always been a basic needs organization. In our 10 years of existence, we have supplied nearly 2 million pounds of fresh food to feeding programs, which have nourished thousands in the Commonwealth. A pandemic does not change that. In fact the demand for basic needs has increased. In the past decade, we have never been this busy in a March or April. Our spring time has traditionally been spent creating new partnerships for the summer and for fundraising to cover our peak season expenses.

Since March 1, Glean Kentucky has had 6 major events canceled or postponed. The amount of income Glean Kentucky would benefit from these events was astounding. I do not come to you to instill fear that our doors are close to shutting or that our staff is one bad day from being laid off. Our amazing board and staff have worked diligently to prepare our finances so that we may have a few months of expenses reserved. Those funds are getting spent as I write this post. This means our sustainability is weakened. Just as with any nonprofit and business at this time, we have been financially impacted by the pandemic.

That’s why we need your support. Our usual day of giving in the Spring is Kentucky Gives Day. We are kicking in to our fundraising season a bit early. Your donation dollars will go directly to Glean Kentucky’s efforts to assist the community affected by the pandemic. Your funding will be spent, so our safety net will allow us to survive another disaster (such as the wind storms in 2018). 39% of our partner feeding programs rely solely on us for fresh food. 100% of our partner programs are able to serve a greater variety of nutritious food. Your donation will make an impact.

We understand so many of you, who regularly support Glean Kentucky, may be fearful to spend money or have even lost their job. We want you to know we are also here for you. Please reach out to us if you need a safe space to ask where you can receive one of the meals we contribute to. You can also send kind words to our program staff who are working tirelessly in a new territory. We know the long road ahead is bumpy. As our governor says, “We will get through this. We will get through this together.”