LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than five decades after a Louisville boy died of malnutrition, his legacy helped others on Monday.
An inaugural drive-through food pantry event was held in Louisville by a local nonprofit. Dare to Care hosted the first Bobby Ellis Memorial Food Pantry at its kitchen on 1200 S. 28th Street.
Bobby Ellis died in his Louisville home on the day before Thanksgiving in 1969. In the months that followed, the Dare to Care Food Bank was created.
The nonprofit and community leaders provided nutritious food to neighbors in the Parkland neighborhood. There was also a moment of silence for Ellis.
Chickasaw resident Frances Pumphrey spent much of patiently waiting in line at Dare to Care's headquarters to feed her family this holiday season.
"I know that I have something to eat on Thanksgiving Day and the weeks to come so I am grateful," Pumphrey said.
For the last several years a prayer vigil has been held to remember Ellis.
"It's very important and sad he lost his life to hunger but it is nice to know Dare to Care is here for us now and there is no need for anybody to be on the streets begging or being hungry," Pumphrey said.
Volunteers and community leaders handed out food to anyone who needed it. Some people waited in line for more than four hours.
"One of the things we've seen is a 30% increase over the past two years in demand for our services and that is simply because of the inflation and the prices of food going up," said Vincent James, CEO and president of Dare to Care.
The pantry brought in two truck loads of food for nearly 250 cars that were expected to pass through. It's just one of several events Dare to Care does during the holiday season throughout 13 counties.
"The pork chops they give us saves us a lot of money, those potatoes, those onions, it goes a long way," Pumphrey said. "It's a blessing. I don't mind standing in this line because it beats being hungry."
According to Dare to Care, nearly 200,000 people are experiencing hungry in Kentuckiana. One in eight people experience food insecurity. During Hunger Actoion Month, Dare to Care volunteers, community retail partners and food pantries provided 2.37 million pounds of food or 1.9 million meals to people.
For more information on how to donate or volunteer, click here.
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