Vital Signs Volume 13, Issue 1 | Page 7

This massive operation is made possible by 61 staff members
and nearly 3,500 volunteers who sort food, prepare shipments,
work at individual pantries, host food drives and even answer
the phone. As a registered 501©3 nonprofit organization, the
Dare to Care Food Bank’s administrative costs take just six
percent of their funds. That means 94 percent of every dollar
donated goes towards fulfilling their mission of food distribution.
The impressive work they do would not be possible without a
wide-ranging network of donors and volunteers.
In her 14 years with Dare to Care Food Bank, Ball has helped
coordinate expansions and additional programs to reach those
in need. Her work with the nonprofit began as Kids Café Director.
“Kids Café is a program that’s close to my heart,” she said.
“Through Kids Café, Dare to Care is partnering with entities that
are safe places for children living in impoverished neighbor-
hoods. We encourage families to send their children to these safe
environments where they are provided with mentors, physical
activity and healthy meals. On average, Dare to Care provides
1,500 hot, nutritious and balanced meals per day to these kids.
These are positive spaces where children in poverty can meet
volunteers interested in improving their lives.”
Ball explained that the Kids Café program is a distillation of
what Dare to Care means to do in the community. By partner-
VITAL SIGNS Volume 13 • Issue 1
ing with other caring organizations, each mission and service is
made stronger.
Another way that impoverished Louisville children are being
reached is through the Backpack Buddy program. In 2004,
Dare to Care began providing backpacks full of kid-friendly
nutritious food to 200 children at risk of hunger. Today, the
program serves 42 schools and more than 2,700 children who
live in food insecure homes.
A major consideration of the Dare to Care Food Bank is “How
can we reach those who need us the most?” The answer can be
found in programs such as Backpack Buddy, Senior Outreach
and the Mobile Pantry which travels to neighborhoods in the
nonprofit’s 13 county radius who have shown the most food
insecurity and delivers food on a consistent, scheduled basis.
Another program on the rise at Dare to Care Food Bank is the
Prescriptive Pantry. Currently in a pilot/testing phase, the Pre-
scriptive Pantry looks to partner Dare to Care with health care
providers who see undernourished Louisville residents on a
semi-regular basis. These trusted physicians can communicate
directly with persons-in-need and may be able to discover areas
of need which have been previously unseen.
“We’ve partnered with Norton Healthcare and are requiring
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