COVINGTON, Ky. – Three agencies with a long history of feeding the hungry and helping vulnerable populations will split $110,600 from the City of Covington for emergency food distribution and other assistance during the pandemic.

 

Mayor Joe Meyer signed an emergency executive order today allocating:

The money comes from the City’s recent receipt of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) money, sent as a supplemental allocation to the federal Community Development Block Grant program.

 

Last month, the City asked for proposals from agencies and organizations that primarily help the needy with food.

 

“It’s critical during this pandemic that the City does what it can to meet the basic needs of its residents – and there’s no more basic need than food and personal care,” Mayor Joe Meyer said after signing the order.

 

Be Concerned, the area’s largest choice food pantry, will use funding to create what it’s calling COVID Boxes, containing hard-to-find cleaning and personal products that keep people safe, including things like antibacterial wipes, spray disinfectant, hand sanitizer and soap, and toilet paper.

 

The agency said the boxes will not only meet a pressing need for Covington residents but also keep families from diverting their limited food budgets toward cleaning and safety supplies, which have become very expensive. Some families are having to choose between the two, agency officials said.

 

The Parish Kitchen, which for years has served warm lunches on a walk-in basis, proposed to use funding to increase its ability to offer meals on a carryout basis so as to protect staff, volunteers, and guests. The agency has experienced a substantial increase in costs because of increased numbers of clients, the higher cost of offering meals to-go, and increased costs of staffing during the pandemic.

 

And Brighton Center, a multi-need agency, proposed to use funding to increase both its emergency food assistance and home delivery food programs. In fiscal year 2020, the agency provided more than 370 families with emergency food. During the pandemic, Brighton Center added USDA food to its distribution, enabling it to give families a 10- to 14-day supply of food.

 

All three agencies reported a huge increase in need since the pandemic hit in March.

 

City of Covington Federal Grants Manager Jeremy Wallace said the City will act quickly to sign agreements with the agencies in order to get the money in their hands as fast as possible.

 

“We’re anxious to fulfill all the federal requirements to get this money working for the residents of Covington,” he said. “We appreciate the dedication of BeCon, the Parish Kitchen, and Brighton Center and all they do for our residents, and we’re thrilled that we can partner with them.”

 

The executive order can be seen HERE.

# # #