The 2023 Kentucky Gives Day campaign was a success, with 100 donors helping the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth exceed their fundraising goal. By the end of the day Tuesday, May 9, the campaign brought in more than $7,000, which will be used to support programs that address food insecurity in Kentucky.

Kentucky Gives Day is a one-day online fundraising campaign for Kentucky-based nonprofit organizations. This year, more than 230 organizations took part in the event. The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth landed a spot in the Top 20 fundraisers for the state and in the Top 3 of participating Central Kentucky Community Foundation organizations.

To our donors: In all that we are and do, you are with us. For that, we are forever grateful.

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The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth work to address the hunger crisis in Kentucky in numerous ways, from holding food drives for areas of the state impacted by disaster and poverty to volunteering at food banks and with meal delivery programs.

Inflation at the grocery store and the withdrawal of supplemental food assistance have resulted in more people needing emergency assistance. Sister Visitor Center in Louisville, a ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, is doing all it can to keep up with the surge of those needing help. The Sister Visitor Center’s food pantry experienced a significant rise in demand in 2021, from 500 visits per month to 1,400. Recently, that number grew to 2,000 visits per month. In nearby Bardstown, a similar need is seen as Sisters and Associates volunteer at the Bread for Life Community Food Pantry, part of St. Vincent de Paul Outreach Ministries.

Sister Sharon Baldy stands with a lettuce donation from the SCN garden after it arrives at the local food pantry earlier this week.

“It gives a life-giving opportunity to the people struggling to feed themselves and their families,” said Sister Maggie Cooper, who is among those to have volunteered at the pantry for several years. Currently, she volunteers in the pantry store, which is set up similar to a grocery store. Sister Maggie’s role is to help the clients “shop” for what they need. She offers a friendly, compassionate and supportive presence to those trying to feed their families.

Like Sister Maggie, SCNs Marilyn Shea and Marlene Lehmkuhl have been helping feed residents for many years. On Thursdays, they pick up meals from the pantry to be delivered to senior, low-income and homebound residents in the city as well as at Nazareth Villages, located on the Motherhouse Campus. They have come to know the residents well and greet each with a warm smile and meals weekly.

These are a few among the many Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and SCN Associates who volunteer in the Louisville and Nelson County areas. They dedicate their time to pantries, food distribution programs, and have supported programs that feed the homeless and help ensure schoolchildren have access to nutritious food.

By supporting the Kentucky Gives Day campaign, our donors support endeavors such as these to address hunger for individuals and families in our communities. Again, thank you.