A special drive-through food distribution focused on children and older residents will happen Friday, June 27.
Hours will be 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Hoosier Hills Food Bank, 2333 W. Industrial Park Drive. Although the focus is on children and seniors, everyone is welcome.
A news release from HHFB states the event is a “partial response to ongoing high food costs, high demand at food pantries, and the State of Indiana’s decision to discontinue the Sun Bucks program that helped feed about 600,000 Hoosier children last summer.”
Each vehicle will get one box of perishables, including produce, dairy and protein, and a choice of one box of dry products tailored either for children or seniors. Both boxes will have about a week’s worth of dry staples.
The distribution’s goal is to help alleviate demand on local food pantries while supporting seniors who struggle with high food prices and families with children who lost access to Sun Bucks SNAP benefits. Sun Bucks provided an additional $120 per child per month in benefits for low-income families to purchase food during the summer when kids were out of school. Last year, the program helped 600,000 Hoosier children but the state of Indiana is not participating in the federal program this year.
HHFB noted that in a March survey of 67 partner agencies, 48% reported serving more neighbors than this time last year, and 45% reported their numbers served are increasing.
“Child food insecurity is on the rise and 1 in 6 children in our region face the prospect of going hungry,” said Julio Alonso, executive director of HHFB. “This is not the time to scale back on programs that help these children grow and thrive.
“This distribution won’t replace lost benefits, but it may help some families get through another month and frankly, if it keeps one child or senior from going hungry, it’s worth the effort.”
Specially created coloring books for children, an activity book for seniors and information on other food and health care programs will be distributed at the event. Guests are self-declaring their need by participating; no ID or proof of income is required.
The distribution is made possible in part by grants and support from Feeding America, Enterprise Mobility’s Fill Your Tank Program, Fresh Connect Central and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Contact Carol Kugler at [email protected].
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