Mike Jennings
502-564-6180

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 3, 2003)-The Cabinet for Families and Children’s Bluegrass Rural Service Region has collected enough canned beef stew to feed more than 6,000 hungry people.

In connection with an annual national effort to inspire efforts to help others, Bluegrass Rural challenged the cabinet’s 15 other service regions to see which could collect the most donations of stew, all of which will be distributed to local food banks and other services that aid the poor and hungry.

By the close of national Make a Difference Day, Oct. 25, Cabinet offices in Bluegrass Rural’s 16 counties had collected 51,068 ounces of canned beef stew. That’s 6,384 eight-ounce servings.

The competition among service regions will become an annual feature of Make a Difference Day in Kentucky. Bluegrass Rural will be the first recipient of an award that each year will go to the service region that collects the most canned stew.

Within Bluegrass Rural, Mercer and Anderson counties led the stew collection effort, with Anderson County staff collecting 19,694 ounces and Mercer County staff collecting 15,385 ounces.

"They really worked hard," said Eileen Cackowski, executive director of the Kentucky Commission of Community Volunteerism and Service. "It was more than just collecting beef stew. They thought about it. And they had fun doing it."

The beef stew was collected in 20-, 24- and 40-ounce sizes. To better meet the needs of homeless, elderly or Spanish-speaking persons, collections included containers that can be opened without a can opener, individual-serving containers and cans with English/Spanish labels.

"I'm so proud of the staff," said Brenda Williams, administrator of the Bluegrass Rural Service Region. "They are caring, considerate people who consistently demonstrate a willingness to help the families and children of Kentucky."

The Bluegrass Fayette Service Region placed second in the competition by collecting 27,028 ounces of stew, or 3,379 eight-ounce servings. The other service regions reporting on collections were Barren River, Cumberland Valley, Gateway/Buffalo Trace, Green River, Kentucky River, KIPDA Rural, Lincoln Trail, and Purchase.

Like other Make a Difference Day participants, the service regions are also eligible to nominate their projects for national awards, including $10,000 donations from Newman’s Own.

Make a Difference Day is sponsored annually by USA Weekend and the Gannett Co., Inc.