FOOD & NUTRITION

Food is healing.

No one should go to bed hungry. Catholic Charities of Louisville responds with more than food. We offer dignity, community, and hope. Our food security programs ensure individuals and families—regardless of background—can access the nourishment you need immediately.

See programs

Feeding the Body.

Nourishing the human spirit.

We believe that food is a fundamental human right, not a privilege. Inspired by Catholic Social Teaching, we meet this need through direct service, community engagement, and creative solutions that provide meals when you need them.

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Sister Visitor Center

West Louisville’s lifeline.

Since 1969, Sister Visitor has helped families through crisis - with food, emergency aid, and compassionate support.

  • CHOICE-model food pantry (on-site + delivery)
  • Emergency financial assistance 
  • Utility and rent assistance
Visit Sister Visitor Center
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Fr. Jack Jones Food Pantry

Supplies. Stability. Support.

Near UofL and Churchill Downs, this pantry offers food access with dignity and kindness.

  • Weekly pantry access
  • Variety of food options
  • Named in honor of hunger advocate Fr. Jack Jones
Visit Fr. Jack Jones Pantry
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Bread for Life (Bardstown)

Nelson County’s hunger lifeline.

Based in Bardstown, Bread for Life Pantry offers weekly food support and hope to local families.

  • Weekly groceries + essentials
  • Crisis food assistance
  • Parish-supported outreach
Visit Bread for Life Pantry
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Common Earth Gardens

Food with roots.

This network of community-led gardens empowers families to grow, earn, and belong.

  • Access to fresh, healthy food
  • Growing culturally important crops
  • Local farmers feeding their communities
Visit Common Earth Gardens

Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger . . . whatever you did for these least ones, you did for me.

- Matthew 25

Hunger Ends Here.

When you give, you feed more than bodies - you nourish dignity, hope and human potential.

Impact Stories

Walk alongside individuals

The Friends of Father Jack Jones

Each week, the staff and volunteers distribute fresh vegetables, meat,
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A Survivor’s Story

Bakhita’s case managers responded immediately, and in partnership with the shelter, they orchestrated an incredible
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Laniya’s Story

But a whisper of faith, and the fierce love she holds for her children, urged her to seek a different path. She found a lifeline…
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Laura: The Power of Advocacy

Laura was called to a nursing home where five residents faced an alarming situation.
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Shaiqullah: Journey of Courage and Family

Their village had been overrun by the Taliban, whom Shaiq described as having “dirty beards, dead eyes…and guns.”
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Mohamed: Smile of a Thousand Miles

Today, Mohamed has a lot to smile about — you could call it a “smile of a thousand miles” — thanks in no small part…
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St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities toy drives bring cheer to hundreds

Colorful Christmas bags filled with sought-after toys — from Barbies
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Catholic Charities’ Migration and Refugee Services celebrates 50 years

When Father Peter Do arrived in Louisville in May 1990 at the age of 17,
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The Record: ‘Our shelves are bare and the lines are long’ — Local agencies ask community to help provide food aid

Local social service agencies are preparing for a surge in the need for food across the area and are hoping the community will help. Food pantries, local leaders say, were already strained in recent months; the situation will worsen if the federal SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits are allowed to expire Nov. 1 amid the federal shutdown…. Catholic Charities
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LMP.org: Kentucky food pantries call for community support ahead of SNAP cliff

Kentucky Public Radio spoke with food banks across the state bracing for a surge in clients ahead of the Nov. 1 suspension of federal food assistance.Volunteers rushed to unload sliced meats, cheeses, fresh produce and hefty bags of potatoes before opening the doors of the Sister Visitor Center food bank in Louisville on Thursday. The Catholic Charities associated pantry served
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People Matter—And Our New Website Shows It

An Improved Way to Connect, Serve, and Walk Together At Catholic Charities of Louisville, we believe people matter—all people. The people we serve. The people who give their time and hearts to volunteer. The people who share their resources so that others may find hope. Every act of service, generosity, and compassion is part of the same story—one rooted in
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The Friends of Father Jack Jones

Each week, the staff and volunteers distribute fresh vegetables, meat, and other food staples to hundreds of individuals and families who line up outside the pantry — rain or shine, hot or cold — to receive the help they need.
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A Survivor’s Story

Bakhita’s case managers responded immediately, and in partnership with the shelter, they orchestrated an incredible multi-agency effort.
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See all stories

The numbers are startling.

Child Poverty Rate

46
%

Poverty rate of children under age of 18 surrounding our pantries.

Jefferson Co. Poverty Rate

13
%

The food insecurity rate in Jefferson County, or 102,000 people.

Our numbers give hope.

Food & Nutrition

25,000
+

People provided free produce and food.

Food & Nutrition

186,000
+

Pounds of food distributed.