By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer
The
biggest program of Pennyrile Allied Community Services, a nutrition education
service that runs on $5.6 million of federal funding each year, will go to the
oversight of the state on Oct. 1.
County
health departments all over Kentucky
will administer it. The state says this will help it reach more people and use
the money more effectively.
However,
it will also put 75 PACS employees across the state out of jobs, including 25
in the Pennyrile region.
Each
health department will decide whether to hire more employees to handle the new
responsibilities.
The
program aims to help people who receive food stamps live healthier lifestyles
by eating more nutritious food and exercising. Fran Hawkins, manager of the
nutrition branch of Kentucky’s
Department for Public Health, said it will be a natural extension of services
county health departments already provide.
