Do You Dare to Share in Louisville?

Though Louisville is home to thousands of restaurants and plentyof grocery stores, many people among us are hungry and dependent on Dare to Care, the food bank that serves 13 counties in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Founded in 1971 after Louisville was stunned on Thanksgiving Day to hear of 9 year old boy dying of starvation, Dare to Care makes a difference to the more than 192,000 who lack the food they need to be healthy. Their statistics point out the depth of the need:

• 1 in 6 people individuals in our community is in need of food assistance
• 1 in 5 children in our area face hunger every day
• 1 in 4 children under 5 in Kentucky do not receive the food they need to grow up healthy, the 4th highest state in the nation.

Not having enough to pay for food is pervasive.

• 40% of the families we help include a working adult
• 40% face the choice of paying for food or utilities
• 40% must choose between paying for food or healthcare

On this crisp autumn weekend, my pups and I are off to our monthly Dames and Dogs hike. I know Louisville well, but my dogs have walked through a good bit of it too. Tomorrow’s hike in Jefferson Memorial Forest on Bearcamp Road in Fairdale. The hike promises to be 2.5 hours of exercise and good times for human and and canines – a “pawsome” time, as the Dames and Dogs website puns.

The real estate market has been so busy for me that I enjoy taking time out to enjoy the beauty of Louisville with my best friends, Joe Cocker and Johnny Rotten, who are featured on the Dames and Dogs website , by the way. When I return to my home, I know it will be warm and that dinner awaits all of us, as soon as I get it together to cook it. However, I am painfully aware that providing for basic necessities is a challenge for many in my town.

As prices for food, heat, and other basic necessities increase, many of our neighbors need a break. Fortunately, there are resources in our city to help. The Louisville Metro Community Action Partnership has been taking applications for heating assistance since November 2. 

Read more in our blog

If you’re like us and always wish you had a bigger backyard to bury your bones, call our mom, Jessica Gaines to sell your house! She says this is the best time of year to sell.