Officials with the Aetna Foundation along with the American Public Health Association and the National Association of Counties have selected Perry County to participate in the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge.

Spearheaded by Dr. Frances Hardin-Fanning, Ph.D., RN and professor at the University of Louisville, the initiative will provide a $100,000 grant in order to address food insecurity and healthy eating within the county. Hardin-Fanning is also a member of Perry County’s Food & Faith Coalition, stating that Hazard’s “grassroots” and advocacy played a large factor in its selection.

The goals of the project are as follows:

• Conduct root cause analyses of food insecurity issues
• Increase food security screening
• Implement strategies to increase donations of healthy foods
• Coordinate existing food security services

In 2017, nearly 18 percent of Perry County households were food insecure and 19 percent of these households were income-ineligible for nutrition assistance. Fifteen percent of Perry County adults have type 2 diabetes and 44 percent have hypertension. The county also has a disproportionately high rate of heart disease mortality (353 per 100,000 population).