Indy Hunger Network, improving access through system-wide coordination

Indy Hunger Network works to reduce hunger in the greater Indianapolis area by improving food access, increasing the nutritional quality of available food, and strengthening the sustainability of the local hunger relief system. This work is carried out through a coalition of nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies working together toward a shared goal.

The Need: Indy Hunger Network’s most urgent need is support for our programs that have lost significant federal funding, including Community Compass, Cooking Matters, and our Healthy Nudges program for food pantries (learn more about these and other IHN programs here). These programs help Marion County residents find food assistance, learn how to prepare healthy meals at home, and access nutritious foods through food pantries. Food and nutrition supports were dramatically cut with the passage of the budget reconciliation bill this summer, and IHN wants to ensure that our programs remain strong as food insecurity increases in our community. Last year, over 50,000 Hoosiers used Community Compass to find food pantries, meal sites, and other feeding programs. Our staff taught more than 500 people how to prepare healthy meals through our Cooking Matters classes, and we provided equipment and technical assistance to 20 food pantries to help them source, store, distribute, and promote nutritious foods. Support from donors like you will help us sustain this work at a critical time.

For Indy Hunger Network volunteer opportunities, visit:  www.indyhunger.org/get-involved/

Gleaners Food Bank, delivering food to those who need it most

More than 1 million Hoosiers face hunger, including nearly 300,000 children. Serving a 21-couty service area, Gleaners Food Bank is working around the clock to meet that need. Gleaners optimize equitable access to nutritious food for those of us facing hunger and strives to overcome the conditions causing food insecurity. To see this work in action, check out their 2024 Year in Review video.

The Need: For Gleaners Food Bank, our most urgent need is critical funding for our Food Acquisition Fund. As need for assistance from our fellow Hoosiers has risen, Gleaners now must purchase 50% of the food we distribute in order to meet that need. Our superpower is sourcing and distributing large quantities of nutritious foods, but we need funding to do that. In our upcoming fiscal year beginning October 1, the Gleaners Food Acquisition Fund requires $9.5 million to meet current and expected needs. This is a 15.8% increase from FY2025. Your gift will be used immediately to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, dairy, eggs, and culturally familiar pantry staples for people facing hunger.

For Gleaners volunteer opportunities, visit:  www.gleaners.org/volunteer/

Eskenazi Health, integrating nutrition into healthcare through their Food as Medicine programs

Eskenazi Health’s “Food as Medicine” initiative believes that healthy nutrition is vital for health and disease prevention, and it addresses food insecurity through programs like the Fresh for You Market on Wheels and patient screening for food insecurity. Nearly all Eskenazi Health patients are screened for food insecurity in outpatient settings, the Emergency Department, Specialty Clinics and all Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center sites. Approximately 35% of patients have been identified as living in households experiencing or at risk for food insecurity.

The Need: Funds are needed to support Eskenazi Health’s Food is Medicine program designed to encourage nutritional independence in Eskenazi Health’s food-insecure patients. This comprehensive system provides various nutrition programs including lifestyle medicine, SNAP counseling, diabetes and hypertension groups, and an innovative, one-of-a-kind closed-loop system for screening and supporting food insecure patients. These patients are issued food vouchers redeemable at Eskenazi Health’s Fresh for You Market on Wheels which serves five under-resourced neighborhoods on a regular schedule every week, or at the brick and mortar Fresh for You Market on the Eskenazi Health downtown campus. While individuals and families shop for groceries, a culturally competent ‘Community Weaver’ staffs the market, providing relationship-based outreach, reminders and warm handoffs to SNAP/WIC, primary care, behavioral health and social support services, as well as language support so that families aren’t left to navigate alone.

We are working to raise $42,000/month to cover the direct cost of food provided by Eskenazi Health Fresh for You Markets to food insecure community members who need access to Food is Medicine. This would serve 1,400 food insecure neighbors a month, connecting them directly with food and starting them on their journey towards nutritional independence.

For volunteer opportunities within the Eskenazi Health network, visit: www.eskenazihealth.edu/about/volunteer

The Milk Bank, supporting fragile infants with donor milk to ensure early-life nutrition

For fragile babies, human milk is lifesaving medicine. It’s something that a mother, even with all the money in the world, may not be able to provide her baby without someone else’s generosity. The Milk Bank is on a mission to promote community health by expanding the safe use of human milk for all babies, especially premature and ill infants. The Milk Bank impacts the greater Midwest area through the safe collection and distribution of pasteurized donor human milk.

The Need: Each action you take—whether through unrestricted giving, targeted program support, or lending your voice and expertise—creates a direct line between your generosity and a baby’s best chance. From naming opportunities to hyper-local engagements, we are committed to tailoring partnerships that align with your vision and values.  The Milk Bank is excited to partner with high-impact partners who want their giving to directly save infant lives, transform health outcomes, and give hope to families. By ensuring access to safe, pasteurized donor human milk, your contributions meet the most pressing needs of fragile newborns today while also building the systems that protect families in the future. Immediate, Short-Term Priorities include:

• Unrestricted Operational Support: A 21.6% surge in demand for donor milk is straining capacity. At $5 per ounce to process, operational funding directly feeds and stabilizes fragile infants.
• Maternal Mortality Response: Donor milk provides critical nutrition during maternal crises. Near-term funding will help scale this lifesaving program, with long-term potential for endowment support.
• Education & Prevention: A dedicated outreach role and materials are needed to educate families and providers—helping prevent crises before they occur.
• Engagement & Expertise: We rely on volunteers, advocates, and professionals to recruit 150+ new milk donors monthly and support operations—from board service to data and logistics.

For Milk Bank volunteer opportunities, visit:  www.themilkbank.org/become-an-advocate/