NEWS RELEASE – September 24, 2025
ARH announces sponsorship of
God's Pantry Rescue Program
LEXINGTON, Ky. – ARH Director of External Affairs Nika Larian, recently appeared on the God’s Pantry Telethon for Hunger Action Month, where she presented a $100,000 matching donation on behalf of ARH.
The donation was part of ARH’s $200,000 sponsorship of the God’s Pantry Rescue Program, which, when launched, will help collect excess food for distribution to those in need.
Larian said the sponsorship will provide two Prestonsburg and London-based ARH and God’s Pantry co-branded vans, which will travel to area retailers, collecting excess food for distribution in eastern Kentucky.
“We produce enough food to feed every person who is hungry, yet more than 700 million people go to bed hungry every day,” Larian said, explaining between 30 and 40 percent of all food produced in the United States goes to waste.
“So, close to 1 billion meals end up in a landfill every day.”
Food rescue, Larian said, is an underutilized solution that can help minimize that waste while feeding the hungry.
She said the program is another extension of ARH’s commitment to preventative healthcare.
“We have nine food pantries on-site at our hospitals,” she said. “So, if a patient screens as food insecure, they get a shelf-life stable box of food that will get them through the next 3 to 4 days, along with a menu card made by a registered dietician so they know how to prepare the food.
“ARH sees the need, and we are dedicated to meeting people where they are.”
Larian said she looks forward to watching as the God’s Pantry Rescue Program helps better the lives of the residents of eastern Kentucky.
“It’s fantastic that God’s Pantry is creating the infrastructure to do this here in eastern Kentucky,” she said. “This program has a lot of potential, and we’re excited to see where it goes.”
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God’s Pantry Rescue Program’s London-based van will serve Bell, Clay, Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, McCreary, Owsley, Pulaski, Rockcastle and Whitley counties.
The Prestonsburg-based van will serve Breathitt, Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Perry and Pike counties.
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Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), is a not-for-profit health system operating 14 hospitals in Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, as well as multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores and retail pharmacies and medical spas. ARH employs approximately 6,700 people with an annual payroll and benefits of $474 million generated into our local economies. ARH also has a network of more than 1,300 providers on staff across its multi-state system. ARH is the largest provider of care and the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky, and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.