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Kentucky State University’s Healthy Food Initiative started in 2020 as a way to make sure that produce grown for research did not go to waste. Since then, thousands of pounds of produce have been donated to soup kitchens in the Frankfort area.

In 2021, Kentucky State donated 6,622 pounds of produce, 4,047 of which were to ACCESS Soup Kitchen and Men’s Shelter in Frankfort.

At ACCESS, the donated produce gets used in meals or put on shelves for guests to take home. Many of those who come to ACCESS live nearby and don’t have transportation or money to buy produce from a grocery. Donated produce “is about all they get,” said Mike Ball, ACCESS director and Kentucky State alumnus. ACCESS receives donations from others as well, but the produce from Kentucky State is always the freshest.

“This makes a world of difference for them,” Ball said.

Several Kentucky State employees have been involved in the research and donation process, including Extension associate Tom Trivette and research associate Matt Behrends.

“Kentucky State University’s Healthy Foods Initiative Program has become a beacon of hope for many unfortunate people during the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many suffered food insecurity and economic depression,” Trivette said. “On a personal level, working to grow, harvest, and donate this produce to the less fortunate gives KSU’s staff and faculty members a reasonable amount of pride and satisfaction during difficult times.”