Hitting on all cylinders

This month, we are writing about the complimentary food distributions the Feeding Team does in addition to 84 outdoor no-questions-asked pantries. Many neighbors are not aware that the Feeding Team offers alternatives to picking up a few meals out of one of the pantries.

For the last couple of years, the Feeding Team, on the first and third Thursdays of each month, has open food pick up in our offices. The model is quite simple. From 10 a.m. to noon, we open the office and provide groceries to families that walk-in for assistance. These food distributions include a wide variety of perishable and non-perishable food. Each month we secure perishable food specifically for neighbors who stop by our open office food pickup. Typical groceries include some form of meat, eggs, vegetables and produce. We rely on social media, word of mouth, volunteers, churches, and this column to get the word out about food availability. A typical Thursday morning will find around eight families that stop by and pick up groceries.

In addition, The Feeding Team, in conjunction with local Lions Clubs and Gleaners, offer two drive through food pickups monthly: one on the second Saturday morning of each month and a second one on the fourth Tuesday afternoon. I should point out that these events are weather permitting. Please watch our social media for regular updates. Neighbors begin lining up hours in advance and volunteers load a week or more worth of groceries in their cars in what can best be described as an assembly line that Henry Ford would be envious of. Normal fare for these events includes fresh meat, produce, vegetables, and fruit.

In addition to the pantries deployed throughout central Indiana, weather permitting, there is a food pickup event every week of the month. All our welcome to participate and we continue until we run out of food or run out of time.

A tip of the hat goes to Custom Concrete and to Mayor Scott Willis of Westfield. Working together, we were able to launch pantry number 84 a few weeks back along a trail head in Westfield. As our newest partner, Custom Concrete has adopted this pantry as one more way that they live out their corporate values in the community.

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.