There are so many inspirational people and amazing stories here in eastern Kentucky.

That includes the people behind Kane Kitchen and Whitesburg.

For years, the organization has been working to improve physical and mental health through food.

We caught up with owner Valerie Horn, who was also a winner of the James Beard Foundation's National Leadership Award.

Our community is not healthy.

One is almost one in three have diabetes.

We have some of the highest cancer rates in the country.

We have the highest hypertension, obesity.

We do feel like food and healthy food is at the root of healing.

This is romaine lettuce.

I work with the Kaplan Community Center, City of Weisberg Farmer's Market and Cane Kitchen.

We sometimes refer to these as three sisters in reference to the Native American growing technique that used that grew beans, corn and squash together to use the least resources and provide the most gain.

We have tried very hard to lift up and find a space for everyone to have access to.

When you drive by, live it on Thursday night, there's no family that would have to feel that that was not for you.

And it is for me, primarily the free aspect is for that portion of our community, over 50% that we have below the poverty line.

But at the same time, we have our most affluent there and they enjoy it.

And so it's common ground in an opportunity for all to be there.

It's a farmer's market that no matter how many dollar bills were in your pocket, I think you'd be happy to be it and enjoy and want to have it.

Provide proof of concept that it's not just a nice idea or sweet or cool, but it even makes financial sense that it there is value to it.

I was very pleased to learn that had been a an award winner for the James Beard Leadership Award.

It was a personal award as that's the way the awards are distributed.

But I very much except on behalf of this this team that is here and in this last year between the pandemic and between the flood, our community would not have survived without these helpers who have stepped up to do whatever they could at whatever level of resources that they had.