Perry County receives Aetna Foundation grant for food security, healthy eating

HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) - Officials with the Aetna Foundation along with the American Public Health Association and the National Association of Counties have selected Perry County to participate in the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge.

Spearheaded by Dr. Frances Hardin-Fanning, Ph.D., RN and professor at the University of Louisville, the initiative will provide a $100,000 grant in order to address food insecurity and healthy eating within the county. Hardin-Fanning is also a member of Perry County’s Food & Faith Coalition, stating that Hazard’s “grassroots” and advocacy played a large factor in its selection.

“You have people who live in the community who are very much aware of the issues as well as the resources,” Hardin-Fanning said. “And (they) have the answers to the solutions that we can come up with.”

The goals of the project are as follows:

• Conduct root cause analyses of food insecurity issues
• Increase food security screening
• Implement strategies to increase donations of healthy foods
• Coordinate existing food security services

Copyright 2020 WYMT. All rights reserved.