Shady Rays sets sights on food insecurity in Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Sunglass outfit Shady Rays has partnered with a local food bank this month to provide meals for hungry Kentuckians. This week, they’re offering a deal to customers who support their efforts.

Team member William Mayo says Shady Rays has set its sights on food insecurity since its inception.

“We’ve been paired up with Feeding America since we were founded, we would give 10 meals for every purchase,” said Mayo, a salesman for the company.

But for Hunger Action Month, they wanted to change their lens and focus on supporting the places they call home.

“We’re a Kentucky company, we were founded in Simpsonville,” Mayo said. “So we feel a special need to help our eastern Kentucky brothers and sisters in the situation they all went through.”

So Mayo says they partnered with God’s Pantry Food Bank to donate directly to central and eastern Kentucky.

If you want to get in on a sweet deal, all you need to do is come in this week with five cans of non-perishable food and they’ll give you 50% off some brand new shades.

Mayo says they also doubled the number of meals donated with each purchase to 20.

God’s Pantry says about 240,000 Kentuckians in their coverage area struggle with food insecurity. So Mayo hopes people will buy some new glasses to help block the sunlight out, while they also shine a light on these difficult realities.

“Anybody could be hungry,” said Mayo. “It could be your neighbor wearing nice clothes but maybe they have to pick those clothes over their food. Just because they look like they’re doing okay, doesn’t mean they’re always getting their belly full.”

Mayo says the deal will run until Friday, September 23, which marks Hunger Action Day.