UK Dining Partners With Lexington Organizations to Feed the Community
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 10, 2020) — Recently, the world has been in a state of upend. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted families all over the nation, and the Commonwealth is no exception. To help those in need, the chefs from University of Kentucky Dining Services have partnered with local organizations to prepare meals, proving that together, we are stronger. Their efforts have resulted in providing 200-300 meals a day to people in need over the last two weeks.
Through close connections with the community, specifically God’s Pantry, FoodChain and Great Bagel, donating food and manpower was a no-brainer, Pulkit Vigg, resident district manager for UK Dining, explained.
With sustainability as a fundamental part of UK Dining’s mission, community and environment often guide how they operate, focusing on practices that reduce waste and maximize efficient operations. With initiatives like Food Recovery, a student-run organization that recovers leftover food that was not in service, already in place, UK Dining has shown what is possible when community ties are strong.
“We stand by the Lexington community as this is where we live, work and play,” Vigg said. “Being the flagship program in Kentucky, it’s our responsibility as well to extend support where and when it’s needed.”
Partnering with The Nathaniel Mission, Lighthouse Ministries, Moveable Feast, The LEE Initiative in conjunction with Great Bagel, God’s Pantry, Fayette County Public Schools and FoodChain, the partnerships not only allow the university to continue to foster active citizenship among campus members through service, but also gives university employees an opportunity to continue working while campus is closed.
Businesses across Kentucky have been impacted by the statewide ordinances issued by Gov. Andy Beshear, leaving many Central Kentucky families without income. Lexington food banks have felt the impact, seeing an increase in need for food assistance.
Feeding thousands of community members daily, the organizations the university has partnered with are in need now more than ever, with many food distribution organizations seeing an estimated 35% increase in need for those who are food insecure.
UK Dining plans to continue donating nutritious family style meals as long as they have the donated food and labor resources available.
Since the partnerships have begun, UK Dining employees have been able to prepare hundreds of meals a day. Although times of uncertainty can be scary, UK’s willingness to step up and step in when needed illustrates that when forces and resources are combined, the impact is powerful.
For more information on UK Dining’s campus and community contribution, click here. For updates on coronavirus and its impact on the university, follow this link.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.