Dare to Care to start new initiative to combat food inequity in Kentuckiana

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new Dare to Care initiative, in partnership with the Humana Foundation, aims to address food equity in Kentuckiana.

A $1.8 million grant from the Humana Foundation, Dare to Care's Equity Initiative will create an "internal Equitable Food Access Group" to collect data, according to a news release. The new initiative will have the following goals:

Implement a "levels of choice" system among Dare to Care’s 300+ partner network, which is an approach that allows people seeking food assistance to choose for themselves what products they receive rather than receiving pre-packaged meals.
Hire three new team members to help support the increased emphasis around food inequity.
Expand the Partner Investment Program, providing additional funding to partners so they can execute projects that increase their capacity to serve neighbors in an equitable and dignified way.
Elevate the voices of those with lived experiences through third-party research, implementing the Feeding America Client Survey (FACS) – a validated, customizable survey instrument, developed in accordance with national best-practices – as well as one-on-one interviews and focus groups.

"Our mission at Dare to Care is to lead the community in feeding the hungry and conquering the cycle of need, however there is a growing gap between those who have access and the ability to prepare healthy meals and those who do not," Vincent James, Dare to Care's president and CEO, said in a news release Monday. "To fulfill our mission, Dare to Care must evolve into a fully data-driven organization that continually develops new and innovative approaches to ending hunger."

This three-year partnership will allow Dare to Care increase the number served and, hopefully, will help some of the populations facing food inequities such as seniors.

"Access to nutritious food is essential for our neighbors to live healthy lives," Tiffany Benjamin, CEO of the Humana Foundation, said in a news release Monday. "Far too many people in our communities face barriers when accessing healthy food and the Humana Foundation remains committed to closing those gaps with the support from partners like Dare to Care who know this community best."