Volunteers with Bank of America on Tuesday rolled up their sleeves to fight food insecurity right here in Indiana.

It’s all part of the Million Meal Initiative.

Fifty volunteers gathered at an office near 96th Street and College Avenue to pack more than 5,000 casserole meals to feed hungry families. The co-founder of million meals tells us that food insecurity in Indiana is higher than the national average.

Nancy Hintz, executive director and co-founder of the Million Meal Movement, said, “This is what makes this kind of work so valuable to the state of Indiana, everyone gets involved.”

In Indiana alone, 1 million people – including 1 in 5 children – don’t know where they’ll get their next meal.

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New restrictions on SNAP benefits may increase demand on food banks and the local pantries they fill. The Indy Hunger Network is bracing for the challenge as they already see a higher demand for food banks.

The Indy Hunger Network provides networking opportunities for over 210 food pantries across Indianapolis. They focus on helping established pantries collaborate with other pantries to be better service providers. They also offer nutrition related assistance through the Healthy Nudges Program and they also make small grants for food pantries.

Outside of helping pantries, Indy Hunger Network goes directly to those in need to teach them how to cook healthy meals.

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A church on the west side of Indianapolis will soon enter a battle against food insecurity.

The congregation on Saturday will celebrate the opening of a food pantry.

Over the past six months, church leaders and volunteers have partnered with local organizations to gain the skills and resources needed to support families in need, providing them with hope and practical assistance.

The International Church-Jesus Christ is My Refuge is preparing for a ceremony to showcase its members’ dedication and hard work. This event will launch the food pantry and signal a new era of compassionate service on the west side of Indianapolis.

Merlin Gonzales is president and CEO of Faith, Hope, & Love Community, a nondenominational network of food partners in Indianapolis. “Training volunteers is important. They are as important or even more important than the food we give to people because as we care for people and understand their deeper needs, maybe with education, additional technical training, or addiction counseling, then we will be able to support them.”

Churches operate 71% of U.S. food pantries.

Last week, leaders and volunteers from three emerging missional food pantry teams in Indianapolis gathered for an administration and operations training session. Participants gained skills and plans to uplift those they serve.

“Beyond food, many people are spiritually, emotionally and, of course, physically hungry. So, we maximize the point of contact, and that’s why we train our volunteers, who are the frontline and the face of the food pantry, and change the tradition/culture of how we help the food-insecure population,” Gonzales said.

Volunteers are trained to engage businesses for support. Expanding the missional food pantry network represents advancement for the churches and the Indianapolis community.

“In the process of providing emergency food assistance, we should not stop there. We should be thinking about those individuals’ long-term help and sustainability.”

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