Floodwaters recede. Kindness doesn’t.

It’s next to impossible to put into words the devastation that hundreds of our neighbors experienced during the recent floods. Heck, so many will experience it for months and even years to come.

We were fortunate not to experience direct loss of life during this tragic event. There are countless stories to be told, heroes to be recognized and folks to be thanked.

No single person could do justice to the lengthy list of people worthy of being thanked, so rather than trying to do that and miss too many people, I’d like to share several things that struck me as profoundly Hamilton County. These are things that are part culture, part heart, and part DNA. I’ve worked on many disasters, with Katrina being worse by far, but never have I seen a community stand in the gap the way ours did this past month.

Here are points for the readers to consider.

1). The first line of assistance was our first responders, 911, EMS, Police, and Fire, often putting their own lives at risk to check on, serve, and even extricate people from impending tragedy. They did their jobs in a professional and unwavering manner. They deserve our thanks.

2). Immediate triage relief came from our neighbors, friends, family, and churches.

3). Egos, labels, and titles vanished. For days and days, we were all just Hoosiers helping people who are hurting and in trouble. It was an immutable force of nature that no one would be able to stop. I’d like to think of it as our community.

4). Anything people needed, someone was there to step up, fill in, or help remedy the need.

5). Even before the waters began to recede, local and county governments entrenched and began the recovery. It was the best of local governments. Charitable groups both local and national appeared on the scene to aid in the recovery.

6). This is a long-term recovery that will impact us for years.

During all this, Feeding Team was not exempt from the flooding. We had five pantries impacted, with a large loss of food. One pantry was engulfed in flood waters to the pitch of its roof, yet wonderfully did not float away.

But as the water receded, kindness didn’t.

Almost immediately, donations began to arrive. Monetary donations from people around Central Indiana who just wanted to help our communities heal. Food donations jumped incredibly as people wanted to make sure that food would be available to anyone in need. One pantry near the White River at 206^th Street was stocked and restocked four times in three days by kindhearted people who wanted zero recognition for what they were doing. They merely wanted to help those hurting in our midst.

It can’t go without being said, we live in an incredibly special community. A place where help is just around the corner. In our case, volunteer brigades of people with bleach and lots of elbow grease got these pantries cleaned, refreshed, and back in service in a matter of a day or two after the water receded. The pantry maintenance team repaired what needed to be fixed almost immediately. We can’t thank people enough for their kindness to our neighbors or their kindness to the Feeding Team.

As a good friend of mine recently said, “We prepare for these rainy days and a few weeks ago, it rained! Well, someday (hopefully in another 113 years or more) it will rain again. I can’t imagine it, but I’m confident that our neck of the woods will step up whenever and however needed. I couldn’t be prouder of our communities, county, state, and neighbors.

From the front lines of fighting hunger, life is changing in real time. We see increases in gap families looking to get through a tough time. The floods made that worse. The numbers are changing as the economy ebbs and flows. People who have never experienced food insecurity are searching for a solution. Many find Feeding Team through our social media and through word of mouth. But others don’t know that these resources are available.

If you find your family in need, please contact us, find a pantry at FeedingTeam.org, and follow us on social media to learn about upcoming food distribution events. Please share our message with those that are in need too. We rely on neighbors to help neighbors connect with those who are in need. Thank you.

About FeedingTeam.org
More than 44,000 people in Hamilton County struggle with food needs. FeedingTeam.org is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that offers outdoor, no-questions-asked food pantries that are open 24/7, all year long. These pantries help families who may not qualify for other programs but still need a few meals to get by.

We are so thankful for all the volunteers, hosts, donors, and sponsors who help us every day. We love serving our neighbors and seeing how your generosity changes lives. Hunger doesn’t always look the way people think it does, and every meal makes a big difference.

A simple can of food can mean everything to a parent who has nothing left to feed their kids. A few meals can change someone’s life.

If you’d like to help, there are many volunteer opportunities. We are also looking for new spots for future pantries. If you know a good location, please contact us.

Mark and Lisa Hall are the Founders of Feeding Team. They may be reached at lisa@feedingteam.org and mark@feedingteam.org or by calling (317) 832-1123.