What if the key to improving health outcomes, graduation rates, and long-term economic mobility in Louisville starts with something simple: helping a child feel safe enough to read?

In this episode of The Lou Review, Rosa Hart sits down with Ashley Dearinger, co-founder of I Would Rather Be Reading, a Louisville-based nonprofit advancing literacy through trauma-informed care, relationship-building, and intentional community partnerships.

Born out of firsthand classroom experience, the organization began as a small summer camp designed to support children who were falling behind — not because they lacked intelligence, but because they lacked stability and consistent support. What followed was rapid, community-driven growth rooted in a powerful understanding: academic success cannot happen until emotional needs are addressed.

Ashley shares how trauma-informed educational practices are reshaping literacy intervention in Louisville and why health literacy is an essential — and often overlooked — component of long-term community wellness.

The conversation explores:

- The link between literacy, health outcomes, and generational opportunity
- Why relationship-centered education drives measurable impact
- How innovative partnerships expand nonprofit reach

- Smart, sustainable fundraising strategies that fuel growth

- Plans to expand services into middle and high school programming

- A long-term vision for community hubs that connect education to career pathways

At its core, I Would Rather Be Reading represents a shift in how Louisville approaches children’s education — from remediation to empowerment.

This episode is a powerful reminder that when a city invests in literacy, it invests in its own future.

Learn more and connect with IWRBR at:

iWouldRatherBeReading.org

🎧 Listen now to learn how this Louisville nonprofit is turning pages - and turning the tide - for children across our community.

Learn more about The Lou Review Foundation at LouReview.com

Follow host Rosa Hart on social media @RosaRaves and @NurseRosaSpeaks

What if feeding people with dignity could also build a sustainable and stronger local food system?In this episode of The Lou Review Podcast, we sit down with Rhona Bowles Kamar, founder and executive director of Feed Louisville, to explore how one Louisville-based nonprofit is redefining hunger relief with creativity, dignity, and long-term vision.Born out of the food insecurity crisis revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Feed Louisville rescues surplus food and transforms it into nourishing, chef-prepared meals for unhoused and food-insecure neighbors. What started as an urgent response has grown into a vital community force—powered by former restaurant professionals who believe good food is a human right, not a luxury.Rhona also shares how Feed Louisville is thinking beyond traditional nonprofit models through its social enterprise, ZEST—a plant-forward, grab-and-go meal line created by chefs and sold locally. Available at Value Market, Rainbow Blossom, Fante’s Coffee Shop, Billion Cup Coffee, and more locations coming soon, every ZEST purchase directly supports Feed Louisville’s hunger relief work.A former chef and co-owner of the beloved Ramsi’s Café on the World, and founder of Raising Hope Organic Farm, Rhona brings decades of culinary, agricultural, and community leadership to her mission. Her work has earned widespread recognition, including being named a 2025 Partners in Philanthropy Nonprofit Visionary Leader and a Today’s Woman Magazine Most Admired Woman.This conversation dives into food rescue, nonprofit innovation, social enterprise, and what it really takes to feed people with dignity—while strengthening Louisville from the inside out.In this episode, you’ll learn:How Feed Louisville turns rescued surplus food into chef-prepared mealsWhy dignity and access matter in hunger reliefHow ZEST supports nonprofit sustainability through local retail partnershipsThe role former restaurant professionals play in community careWhat it takes to build a mission-driven organization that lasts🎧 Subscribe to The Lou Review Podcast on Spotify and YouTube for more stories spotlighting the people and organizations shaping Louisville for the better.Connect with Feed Louisville:https://www.feedlouisville.orgOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feedlouisvi...Connect with host Rosa Hart:https://www.instagram.com/rosaraves/Learn more about The Lou Review Foundationhttps://loureview.com/

Hunger doesn’t stop when the school bell rings - and in Louisville, thousands of children feel that gap every weekend.

In this episode of The Lou Review Podcast, host Rosa Hart talks with Kim Holsclaw about the life-changing work of Blessings in a Backpack, a Louisville-founded nonprofit fighting child hunger and food insecurity. Kim shares how the organization began in 2005 and grew into a national program now serving children in 46 states and Washington, D.C., ensuring kids have access to shelf-stable food when school meals aren’t available.

The conversation highlights why community support, volunteers, and local partnerships are essential to feeding students in need - especially in Louisville, where nearly 80,000 children qualify for free or reduced lunch. Kim explains how Blessings in a Backpack delivers food directly to children, how the nonprofit collaborates with schools and organizations, and how listeners can volunteer, donate, and get involved locally to help end childhood hunger.

Learn more at: https://www.blessingsinabackpack.org/

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The Lou Review podcast is made possible by the Lou Review Foundation Inc.

OUR MISSION:

To leverage podcast storytelling,
targeted advertising, strategic networking, and grants to give Louisville’s business & nonprofit founders the visibility they need to elevate their
missions and businesses, inspiring partnerships and lasting success.

Learn more at LouReview.com

Connect with host Rosa Hart