Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the State Department of Agriculture this week announced Indiana food banks will receive a historic combined total of $2 million to support efforts in feeding Hoosiers in need, noting this year’s funding is double what was received last year. Indiana has 11 food banks that feed into pantries and soup kitchens across the state and each food bank received part of the funding provided by the legislature as part of its biennial budget. Locally, they include Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, which includes Lake and Porter counties; Food Bank of Northern Indiana, which includes Laporte and Starke Counties; and Food Finders Food Bank out of Lafayette which includes Newton, Jasper and Pulaski counties.
“Providing for Hoosiers who are food insecure across our state is a priority,” said Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “I am proud that the general assembly recognized this by appropriating additional state funding towards our Indiana food banks.” According to Feeding Indiana’s Hungry (FIH), while the long lines outside of food banks and food pantries may not have been as noticeable in 2021 as the year before, nearly 1 in 6 Americans received food assistance from the charitable sector last year.
Indiana food banks are a subsect of food pantries and soup kitchens. According to FIH, Indiana’s food banks and food pantries are serving more Hoosier neighbors now than during the pandemic because of inflation and its lingering economic impact. “Our member food banks are serving record numbers of Hoosier families as relief programs that help families makes ends meet have tapered off or ended. Too many in our communities continue to make difficult choices between paying bills and buying groceries. For any Hoosier to be unsure from where their next meal will come is unacceptable,” said Emily Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry. “We’re grateful for the support of the Indiana General Assembly, Lt. Gov. Crouch and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture for providing additional support to our members to help them serve our neighbors and our communities.”
