INDIANAPOLIS – The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana was one of 11 regional food banks around the state to receive a share of $300,000 in funding through the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.
The Gary-based food bank received $30,960 from the state. The funds will be used to provide food assistance and services to residents in need, according to a statement from Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, whose office oversees the state department of agriculture.
“Food banks across our state are doing truly extraordinary things for those who may need assistance in feeding their families,” Crouch said. “I’ve had the privilege of visiting food banks in Indiana and have witnessed the incredible impact they are making in people’s lives.”
According to Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, the state’s food bank association, 1 in 7 Indiana residents is food insecure. Additionally, more than 280,000 children in Indiana don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
The food bank funding was included in the state’s 2017 biennial budget, the state department of agriculture said. Distribution amounts were determined using the Emergency Food Assistance Program fair share percentage, which captures poverty and unemployment levels in each county.
These food banks also received state funds:
- Community Harvest Food Bank, Fort Wayne – $30,990
- Dare to Care, Louisville, Ky. (serves these southern Indiana counties, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Clark and Washington) – $10,890
- Food Bank of Northern Indiana, South Bend – $36,060
- Food Finders Food Bank Inc., Lafayette – $28,770
- FreeStore, Cincinnati, Ohio (serves these southern Indiana counties, Dearborn, Ohio and Switzerland) – $7,410
- Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana Inc., Indianapolis – $83,100
- Hoosier Hills Food Bank Inc., Bloomington – $14,040
- Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana Inc., Muncie – $24,570
- Terre Haute Catholic Food Bank Inc., Terre Haute – $14,190
- Tri-State Food Bank Inc., Evansville – $19,020
The state’s food banks provide food to about 1,800 nonprofit agencies and programs in all 92 Indiana counties.
