More than 750,000 Kentuckians, or 17% of the state’s population, do not always know where their next meal will come from. Close to one in four of Kentucky’s children lack consistent access to enough food for a healthy, active lifestyle. Paducah Bank would like to change that.

“Three years ago, we began a partnership with our customers to support our commitment to the needs of the community,” said Mardie Herndon, Paducah Bank President. “Our Swipe and Serve project allows our customers to help us help those who are hungry in the communities we serve. With each signature-based debit card transaction that our customers make, we set aside a contribution to a local organization that helps feed the hungry. So, every time customers swiped their debit cards for a signature-based purchase, they were supporting the need for food for families in the Paducah area.”

The bank’s goal has been to raise approximately $7,500 each quarter, which is donated to one of four selected organizations. That goal has been consistently surpassed each quarter in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The organizations which have benefited from the program since its inception are the Paducah/McCracken County Senior Center, Paducah Cooperative Ministry, River City Mission, Community Kitchen, and the 4-H Food Backpack program.

“The project has been such a resounding success that we are going to extend it into 2017,” said Susan Guess, Vice President of Marketing at Paducah Bank. “To date, the bank has donated more than $100,000 to local charities that feed the hungry.”

So, once again, the bank is seeking applications from local charitable groups who are committed to feeding the hungry in our area. If your group would like to be a Swipe and Serve recipient, please email a profile of your group to [email protected] by December 29. We will be selecting four recipients for 2017, and those who were selected in previous years are eligible to reapply.