Hancock County Food Pantry

 

Sondra Gullion, Tom Ferguson, and Donna Owen. Sondra and Donna are among several Kiwanians who volunteer at the Hancock County Food Pantry.

Tom Ferguson, President, Hancock County Food Pantry told Kiwanis about food insecurity and the programs the Food Pantry is using to alleviate that in Hancock County. The Food Pantry was established in 1992 in the back of a home.  It has now grown to two leased buildings at 741 ½ South State Road 9.

One in six families is food insecure, meaning that they have no access to an affordable and reliable source of nutrition for their family.  One in three children in Hancock County is on free and reduced food programs at school.  The Hancock County Food Pantry’s mission is to secure and distribute food to the needy in an effort to alleviate hunger in Hancock County. The Hancock County Food Pantry is a 100% volunteer organization with over 100 volunteers. The Food Pantry is governed by a Board of Directors who meet bi-monthly.

The Food Pantry secures food and non-food essentials (toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, laundry detergent, etc.) through purchases and donations. The Food Pantry purchases about half of what is distributed at significantly reduced costs through food banks and other groups.  Donated items are received from individuals, churches, businesses, and organizations as well as the US Post Office Food Drive, the 40,000 Pounds of Giving, the USDA, and local grocery chains.

Additional programs have been implemented to assist various seasonal and demographic needs of our clients. These include:

1.      Summer Children’s Food Program – this program allows families with children to receive additional food while the children are at home during the summer months.

2.       Christmas Basket Meal – about 700 Christmas meals were given out in 2013.

3. BackSack Program – the Pantry partnered with the Gleaners Food Bank to implement the BackSack program within our county school systems. The BackSack program provides packaged weekend meals to middle and elementary students with food insecurity. In the 2013-2014 school year, elementary schools in the Greenfield Central, Mount Vernon, and Eastern Hancock School Systems were served a total of 204 BackSacks per week.
4. Commodity Supplemental Food Program – in 2013, we initiated, in collaboration with Gleaners Food Bank, Hancock County Senior Services, Meals on Wheels of Hancock County, Hancock Regional Hospital, and others, a program for seniors in recognition of their increasing need. We hear testimonies frequently about seniors having to decide whether to spend their limited income on food or medicines. This monthly program gives each qualifying senior 40 pounds of food in addition to their monthly distribution from the Food Pantry.
5. Gleaners Mobile Food Pantry – we sponsor monthly Mobile Food Pantry trucks to the Fortville and Greenfield areas. These mobile trucks provide additional food for those with food insecurity. This program is funded by Gleaners Food Bank and the volunteer base is coordinated between the Food Pantry, Vernon Township Trustee, and area churches and service organizations.
6. Fortville Shut-in Assistance Program – In 2013, we initiated a program in the Fortville area to assist shut-ins. This program is in collaboration with the Vernon Township Trustee and the Fortville Lion’s Club. Currently, about 13 shut-ins receive food monthly. Individuals from the Fortville Lion’s Club and others act as proxies for shut-ins and collect and deliver food from the Food Pantry to the shut-ins.
7. Milk Purchase – In 2014, the Food Pantry felt led to and initiated purchasing milk to supply to each family, i.e., approximately 640 gallons per month. By doing this, the Food Pantry supplies the three basic staples: bread, eggs, and milk.

The Hancock County Food Pantry served an average of 649 families with food insecurity including 181 seniors each month in 2013. These numbers have increased annually in recent years and are up significantly from 2008. An estimated 800,000 pounds of food was distributed in 2013.  For more information see http://hancockcountyfoodpantry.com/ or call 317.468.0273.