(INDIANAPOLIS) – Food banks around Indiana have some extra money to help Hoosiers that are hungry.
Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch announced Wednesday a total of $300,000 in state funding was distributed to 11 Indiana food banks.
Almost one-third of that is going to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana.
Sarah Estell, the Senior Director of Communications at Gleaners, says that’s because they are the largest food bank in the state, serving 21 counties throughout Central Indiana.
Estell says they will use the $95,730 they received from the state for their Produce Hope Initiative.
“We have been focused on fresh fruits and vegetables,” Estell said. “We’ve been distributing more of that, so this money will be used to source approximately 500,000 pounds of produce.”
Estell says Gleaners has been more focused on fruits and veggies for the last few years, because they are home to one of Feeding America’s regional produce cooperatives.
“So we are both the operator of the produce co-op, and it’s biggest customer,” she said.
Estell says all of the food banks receiving funds from the state will put the money to good use.
She also says it shows that the state realizes how important food banks are to Indiana.
“No one should go hungry,” Estell said. “There are one million Hoosiers that face some sort of food insecurity. At Gleaners, we supply food to 300,000 people. Half of those are children and senior citizens.”
She added that food banks are the “extra layer” of safety for those that are hungry, when benefits from the government aren’t enough.
The following list includes the food banks that received funding…
- Community Harvest Food Bank – $30,180
- Dare to Care – $10,650
- Food Bank of Northern Indiana – $35,010
- Food Bank of Northwest Indiana – $29,460
- Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. – $27,660
- FreeStore – $2,460
- Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc. – $95,730
- Hoosier Hills Food Bank, Inc. – $13,140
- Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central IN, Inc. – $23,430
- Terre Haute Catholic Food Bank, Inc. – $13,770
- Tri-State Food Bank, Inc. – $18,510
