Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Crane | U.S. Army Capt. Nick Swetnam, and around 30 other Kentucky Army National Guard...... read more read more
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky National Guard Airmen and Soldiers completed a two-week food-bank-support mission across the Commonwealth, sorting and packing over 25,000 food boxes for Kentuckians in need from Nov. 10-26, 2025.
The mission began at God’s Pantry Food Bank in Lexington and expanded to other Feeding Kentucky partner sites in Elizabethtown, Louisville and Paducah as regional demand increased. At its peak, 46 Soldiers and eight Airmen were activated to sustain food distribution operations across all locations.
Personnel supporting the mission came from Joint Force Headquarters, 38th Division Artillery (DIVARTY), 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade, 75th Troop Command, 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 238th Regiment (RTI), and the 123rd Airlift Wing.
The largest requirement came from Lexington, which requested 7,000 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food boxes ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The KYNG deployed more than 30 Soldiers from the 38th DIVARTY and JFHQ on Nov. 18 to meet the workload.
“We hit 2,000 boxes yesterday, and we’re on track to exceed that today,” said Sgt. 1st Class Stephanie Williams of JFHQ, who oversaw the Guard’s workforce in Lexington. “Every Soldier here has a role, and they’ve taken great pride in helping families who need it most.”
According to God’s Pantry President and CEO Michael Halligan, the organization saw a 40 percent increase in food assistance requests from early October to early November because of federal worker furloughs and a delay in SNAP benefits.
“Being able to quickly gather and assemble food is essential right now,” Halligan said. “Getting that food sorted and packed—so we can efficiently get it distributed—is critical, and that’s where the Guard has stepped in to make our work faster and more effective.”
Halligan said that while the food bank relies heavily on thousands of volunteers, periods of sudden, widespread need require additional capacity that only the Guard can provide.
“We have a team of about 80 employees who handle day-to-day operations—gathering food, distributing it, picking orders and delivering them to over 500 food pantry and meal programs across our service area,” Halligan said. “We also depend on over 5,000 volunteers throughout the year to sort and pack food, similar to the support the National Guard is providing now.”
Soldiers also supported Kentucky’s Feeding Kentucky initiative with Thanksgiving meal distribution at the Southland Christian Church campus in Lexington, where 3,100 holiday food kits were handed out to local families.
At Dare to Care Food Bank in Louisville, Guardsmen worked alongside staff and volunteers to sort, pack and prepare thousands of pounds of food for distribution, including over 1,900 boxes of free groceries during the first week of operations. Guard response was detailed in the Nov. 20 article, “Kentucky National Guard supports Louisville food bank.”
In Elizabethtown, Soldiers assisted Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland with over 600 SNAP boxes, 11,400 food boxes for Seniors, 1,700 bag meals, and more than 3,100 backpack meals to help manage increased demand there.
“Right now, 280,000 people across central and eastern Kentucky face food insecurity and may not have enough food on their table tonight, this week or later this year,” he said.
Halligan encouraged anyone experiencing financial hardship to use the organization’s online resources.
“If you know someone who’s struggling, visit our website and click the Find Help button,” Halligan said. “Enter the ZIP code nearest their home, and the site will identify nearby food pantries and meal programs so they can access the support they need.”
“Now, more than ever, it’s important for communities to lean in so many families can continue to grow and thrive,” he said.
The KYNG maintains readiness to assist civil authorities in protecting lives, sustaining essential services, and supporting Kentucky communities.
| Date Taken: | 12.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.09.2025 17:33 |
| Story ID: | 553473 |
| Location: | FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 7 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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