Louisville company buys new refrigerator for nonprofit to store food for community

To solve the problem, Feed Louisville spent months raising money to turn a current pantry space into a walk-in refrigerator, which Kamar said costs about $20,000. But in the midst of that fundraising, BKD, a local CPA firm, wrote Feed Louisville a $22,000 check to immediately complete the project. The firm had already raised the funds for COVID-19 relief efforts but hadn't decided where to give it.

"Our foundation chair had WDRB on in the background and heard the initial story of Feed Louisville and their work and how much they had grown since their inception," said Aaron DuVall, marketing manager for BKD. "So, she brought the idea to our meeting the next day, and we could not think of a more prefect organization to go with."  

Additionally, SNL Enterprises volunteered to build and install the refrigerator.

That's what I love about it," Kamar said Tuesday. "It really shows the power of the media and power of the community here in Louisville."

The project just started due to delays in getting the materials needed. It's expected to be completed this week.

Kamar said the addition of more cold storage will help them in their push toward food rescue work - ensuring less food is thrown away and more meals are given to those who need it most.

"This is food that our supporters - our restaurant partners, our chefs, our caterers give us food that's perfectly viable that would go into the landfill otherwise," Kamar said. "So, what we're able to do with this additional refrigeration is to start to build those relationships in a more intentional way."