Dare To Care

Hope Starts Here

Community Events

Have an idea for an event to benefit Dare to Care? Host your own! Please visit this page for details, or contact us for more information.

Vote for Dare to Care through the Target Circle program
Dare to Care has been chosen as a featured nonprofit for Target Circle! Vote for us through the Target Circle program to help determine how Target will donate their funds! Target’s support will help provide more food and hope to our neighbors in need. To learn more and vote for Dare to Care, click here.

River Metals Recycling makes it easy to give back
Donate to Dare to Care by recycling your aluminum cans at River Metals Recycling! Use the account code DARE02 when you drop off your material at any River Metals Recycling location! Learn more and find a location near you by clicking here.

Amazon Smile
When you sign up for Amazon Smile, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible Amazon Smile purchases to Dare to Care. To get started and to select Dare to Care, click here.

Kids Cafe

For more than two decades, Dare to Care has provided hot, nutritious meals to children through Kids Cafe held at partner sites such as YMCAs and Boys and Girls Clubs.

Children who participate are not only comforted and nourished be the meal, they are connected to local after-school programs where they receive academic, social, and emotional support. Staff and volunteers who work with participants report positive changes. These changes range from a stronger sense of responsibility and positive attitude, to improved behavior and increased participation in additional support services.

During the summer months, many Kids Cafes also provide breakfast and lunch for children. Visit the Summer Meals for Kids page for details.

Click here for a list of Kids Cafes serving meals!

Thanks to the generous support of the Novak Family Foundation and other dedicated partners, the new Community Kitchen, from which we prepare and deliver Kids Cafe meals, opened in June 2020! This vastly expanded, production kitchen allows our team to prepare healthy meals to deliver to Kids Cafes across the community. Now more than ever, this increased capacity and flexible space means we can adapt to meet the changing needs of our community. Learn more here.

Click here to view our nondiscrimination policy.

Partner Tools

Newsletters

Partner Handbook

Training & Partner Resources

Indiana TEFAP (USDA) Documents & Resources

Kentucky TEFAP (USDA) Documents & Resources

Cooking Matters

Through a partnership with Share Our Strength, Dare to Care offers Cooking Matters, a nutrition outreach program that empowers families with the skills, knowledge and confidence to prepare healthy and affordable meals. Dare to Care offers different courses for adults, families, parents and kids, teens and children.

Cooking Matters requires both nutrition and culinary volunteers to teach classes. Nutrition volunteers should have a background in nutrition or home economics, and will implement prepared lessons using instructional materials. Dare to Care provides all materials and groceries. A professional background in culinary and/or nutrition is encouraged, but not required. Training will be provided. Volunteers will teach food preparation and food safety. Recipes, activities and handouts are provided. Both nutrition and culinary volunteers commit to teaching a 2-hour class, once a week for six weeks. To volunteer with Cooking Matters, please contact Kimberly Gravley, Director of Nutrition Education, at 502.736.9418 or return the completed Cooking Matters Volunteer Application.

Cooking MattersFor Cooking Matters updates and volunteer resources, please visit the Cooking Matters Blog.

To learn more about Share Our Strength and Cooking Matters nationally, please follow this link.

Senior Outreach

Seniors in Kentuckiana are at risk of hunger due to limited budgets, declining mobility or medical issues. To respond to this need, Dare to Care offers programs that target our community’s older adults.

Mobile Pantries for Seniors
The Mobile Pantry program distributes fresh fruit, vegetables and nonperishable items to community members at risk of hunger. We conveniently distribute these items to senior residential buildings and senior centers. When possible, we strategically partner with community organizations to provide additional services for seniors, such as blood pressure screenings and health coaching.

Commodities Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
In 2014, Dare to Care began distributing food through the CSFP program. This federal program provides monthly, well-balanced food packages to low-income seniors who meet certain requirements. The goal is to improve the health of people, at least 60 years of age, by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA commodity foods, such as grains, protein, fruits and vegetables. For more information about the CSFP program and eligibility, please contact Tami Garris.

Looking for additional resources for seniors? View this resource guide from Metro Louisville’s Office for Aging and Disabled Citizens.

The following percentages and dollar amounts of the total costs are funded with federal money:  TEFAP (4.5%, $321,056), CSFP (7%, $489,059).  The percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of that are funded by non-governmental sources is 88.5%, $6,200,000.

Apply For Program

Mobile Pantry

There are isolated neighborhoods in our community with families in need of food assistance, but they have limited access to the food they need.

Dare to Care began the Mobile Pantry program in 2007, to ensure families can access food regardless of where they live. With this program, Dare to Care brings food directly to a neighborhood and sets up a temporary pantry on a consistent, scheduled basis.

Today, Dare to Care operates over 40 Mobile Pantries each month. These pantries provide nearly 275,000 pounds of nutritious food to our neighbors in need each year.

When selecting sites in the community to operate a Mobile Pantry, Dare to Care looks for areas with the following characteristics:

  • Located in an area of need
  • Within walking distance or easy public access for families in need
  • Located in an area with limited access to nutritious food, such as fresh produce

We often partner with a church, business or community group to provide consistent, caring volunteers for Mobile Pantries.

Once a Mobile Pantry is operating, Dare to Care:

  • Delivers food on a consistent, scheduled basis
  • Supports the site by providing volunteers, if needed
  • Supports the program by purchasing necessary products, if not donated to the food bank
  • Distributes non-food items such as paper towels and toilet paper as available

An example of a typical offering at a Mobile Pantry includes: fresh produce, cereal, frozen meat, or household goods, such as toilet paper.

To locate a Mobile Pantry in your area, please search our map .

Pantry ending times will vary due to food availability. Please note the start time and be present accordingly. A mobile pantry may be canceled due to holidays, scheduling conflicts, weather conditions too dangerous for the public, ice, lightning or wind chill temperatures below 20F. Please call 502.966.3821 to verify any recent modifications to the schedule.

Agency Partnership FAQs

Q: What kind of organization can partner with Dare to Care Food Bank?
A: Tax laws allow Dare to Care Food Bank to build partnerships with nonprofit organizations, eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(C)(3), and churches.  All organizations that apply for partnership with Dare to Care must provide proof of its 501(C)(3) status, or proof that it falls under the tax-exempt umbrella of a larger, faith-based organization, or be a church that meets the IRS 14-Question Criteria for Churches. An additional IRS directive requires that more than half of those served by the organization are in need.

Q: Where are Dare to Care’s partners located?
A: Dare to Care Food Bank’s service area covers thirteen counties, eight are in Kentucky and five are in Indiana. Kentucky counties include: Bullitt, Carroll, Henry, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble. Indiana counties include: Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison and Washington. Dare to Care strives to strategically develop a network of partners within its service area to ensure efficient service to those in need.

Q:What does Dare to Care consider when developing a new partnership?
A: Dare to Care’s Application Committee considers the following when an organization applies for partnership with Dare to Care:

  • Nonprofit status of the organization
  • Location of the organization
  • Mission of the organization
  • Population served by the organization
  • Physical plant (adequate / secure / climate controlled dry food storage areas, freezer/s, refrigeration, shelving, client access, signage)
  • Organizational Capacity (leadership, volunteers, adequate vehicle to transport food, computer access, available hours of operation)
  • The organization’s other sources of food and/or donations

Q: How may partner agencies use the food received from Dare to Care?
A: Partner Agencies distribute food to those in need of food assistance. Food Pantries are approved to give clients food to take home to prepare. Emergency Kitchens and Shelters are approved to prepare food for clients to consume on site. Closed Network Partners are approved to provide food service to the defined client populations they serve. In every case, all food must be provided free of charge. Partner Agencies agree not to discriminate based on race, creed, national origin, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation.

Q: What about food safety?
A: Partner Agencies must have adequate and secure dry storage space, freezers and refrigeration to protect the food’s safety. Dare to Care consults with prospective partners on food safety requirements, and provides mandatory food safety training to approved Partner Agencies. Emergency Kitchen and Shelter Partners must comply with state and local regulations regarding food preparation facilities.

Q: How often may a Partner Agency withdraw food from the food bank?
A: Partner Agencies may pick-up a food bank order from Dare to Care once a week. Partner Agencies may pick-up fresh produce from Dare to Care more often, if needed.

Q: Interested in becoming a Partner Agency?
A: Dare to Care’s application process runs from March 1 – August 31 each year. Please click here for application materials. Applications must be received by August 31. If you have questions after reviewing the application materials, please contact Laura Frankrone at laura.frankrone@daretocare.org.

Resources

You've come to the right place.

Dare to Care distributes food to our partner agencies, which include food pantries, shelters, emergency kitchens and other social service organizations. In turn, these agencies provide food assistance to community members in need.

area_map

Dare to Care serves the following counties in Kentucky: Bullitt, Jefferson, Spencer, Shelby, Oldham, Trimble, Henry and Carroll, and the following counties in Indiana: Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Crawford and Washington.

lf you are in need of food assistance, please call Dare to Care at 502.966.3821 to find an agency in your area.

Search our map for the agencies near you.

Click here for our Mobile Pantry schedule.

Outside our area?
Locate your food bank here: Feeding America

Need assistance beyond food?
211 (LOGO) connects you to answers about

  • Disaster assistance
  • Food
  • Health
  • Housing and Utilities
  • Jobs and Support
  • Re-entry
  • Veterans

http://www.211.org/

2-1-1 provides information about school lunch programs and summer food service programs for children. You can get information on government-sponsored programs that reduce hunger and find out if you qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps millions of Americans purchase food through grocery stores, farmers markets and restaurants. To learn more about the benefits of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which provides food and nutrition education to new mothers, infants and children up to age five, contact your local 2-1-1 chapter.

Other Resources

Metro United Way Community Resource Directory

Government Benefits

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Kentucky Career Center

Coalition for the Homeless

Kids Cafe

Summer meals for children

National Hunger Hotline (1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE)

Find Assistance Near You

Call before visiting a site to check on geographic restrictions/eligibility.

Please call the site before visiting to check geographic restrictions and eligibility. Please note that geographic restrictions may vary. A Mobile Pantry may be canceled due to holidays, scheduling conflicts or weather conditions too dangerous for the public.

Outside our area?
Locate your food bank here: Feeding America

Need assistance beyond food?

211
211 connects you to answers about

  • Disaster assistance
  • Food
  • Health
  • Housing and Utilities
  • Jobs and Support
  • Re-entry
  • Veterans

http://www.211.org/

2-1-1 provides information about school lunch programs and summer food service programs for children. You can get information on government-sponsored programs that reduce hunger and find out if you qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps millions of Americans purchase food through grocery stores, farmers markets and restaurants. To learn more about the benefits of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which provides food and nutrition education to new mothers, infants and children up to age five, contact your local 2-1-1 chapter.

Other Resources

Metro Louisville Office for Aging and Disabled Citizens

National Council for Aging Care

Metro United Way Community Resource Directory

Government Benefits

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Kentucky Career Center

Coalition for the Homeless

Kids Cafe

National Hunger Hotline (1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE)

Propel launches platform to help navigate government benefits

Nondiscrimination Policy

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. email:
    Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Food shouldn't be an impossible choice

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