Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana issues statement on passing of Gleaners’ founding President & CEO, Pam Altmeyer Alvey

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“As we mourn the loss of our founding President & CEO, Pam Altmeyer Alvey, we celebrate her tireless passion and dedication to hunger relief for Hoosiers,” Gleaners President & CEO Fred Glass said. “Pam’s vision was foundational to the work Gleaners and our partners are performing to this day.”

In 1981, Pam was the first full-time hire of the fledgling Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, located in a three and a half car garage – serving the entire state of Indiana and one of the very first food banks in the nation.

When Gleaners marked its 40^th year in service, Pam was quoted, “Poverty and the symptoms of poverty are life-robbing and community destroying. If we don’t do what we do as well as we can, then Hoosiers in need can’t do as well as they could. That’s a huge responsibility for Gleaners and all of us.”

James T. Morris, Vice Chairman, Pacers Sports & Entertainment, former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, and Chairman of Gleaners’ 2010 capital campaign to acquire their current headquarters, shared, “Pam Altmeyer Alvey was an incredible lady. No one worked harder or cared more for the hungry, lonely, vulnerable people of Indiana. Her excellent work fed hundreds of thousands of folks during her remarkable life. She was my good friend. I admired her so much. A great loss for our community.”

In July 2021, Gleaners dedicated a mural, painted by local artist Alicia Zanoni Lawrence, in Gleaners’ Volunteer Central room as an honor to Pam and the fact that she championed the thousands of volunteers who dedicate their time and talent. On that day Pam said, “What we can do together is so much greater than what we can do alone.”

In September 2023, Pam and her husband Dan visited with members of Gleaners’ Board, Board alumni, and staff. Pam shared that the thing she was most grateful for in all her time at Gleaners was the support of the Board and the community for the successful acquisition of Gleaners’ current facility. Pam’s vision was that we were only on the margins of capturing food that was going to waste – from growers, processors, and others. She knew there were opportunities if we had proper space.

Pam shared, “I’m even more amazed at the innovation and intentional work to alleviate poverty. I mean it when I say to Gleaners team members and volunteers that they are making my dreams come true and I am so very, very grateful.”

During her tenure, Pam worked closely with United States Senator Richard Lugar and they became great friends. Pam often touted that Senator Lugar’s dedication to nutrition programs and his visionary realization of the connection between nutrition and educational achievement left a lasting legacy on our community and our country. She helped inform his policy work on the Lugar-sponsored Good Samaritan Act, which was the legal impetus for retail food store donations of nutritious, perishable food that, at the time, quickly became the greatest source of corporate food donations to the national hunger relief network.

In 2006, Senator Lugar paid tribute to Pam on the floor of the U.S. Senate sharing, in part, “I have had the joy of working closely with Pam Altmeyer and Gleaners Food Bank in procuring resources for Hoosiers in need. I believe that, both as a nation and as individuals, we can do more to improve the lives of those in need. I am deeply grateful for Pam’s important service and leadership as well as for the remarkable work done by her colleagues at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana.”

About Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc.
Gleaners was founded in 1980 and is a respected leader within Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network. Since that time, Gleaners has distributed nearly one trillion pounds of food and critical grocery products through a network of 300 hunger relief agencies, schools, and community partners serving Hoosiers facing food insecurity.

In addition to food distribution to agencies, Gleaners serves the most vulnerable populations – seniors and children – through specialty programs such as Gleaners2Go, Home Delivery, School-Based Pantries, and Mobile Pantries. Comprehensive outreach services (SNAP, Medicaid, utility assistance, and more) and wrap-around services from collaborative partners are offered to help reduce the line.

Gleaners is certified as a Good Wages Initiative Employer by EmployIndy. Charity Navigator has recognized Gleaners as a 4-Star organization, the highest rating for charity demonstrating fiscal management and accountability. In addition, Gleaners is an accredited charity with the Better Business Bureau and has earned a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

To learn more or contribute, visit gleaners.org.