Hamilton County, with its exceptional schools, beautiful suburban neighborhoods and world-class amenities, is also home to some residents who are grappling with food insecurities. Despite its affluent reputation, the county is facing a food shortage crisis in its pantries. As Hamilton County Deputy Trustee and Director of Client Services Beth Myers explains, this issue has been exacerbated by the change in benefits after the pandemic.
“During COVID, benefits increased, and people were getting more food stamps so they didn’t need to utilize local pantries as much,” Myers says. “Since then the benefits have gone back down, and we’re seeing an increase in people needing our assistance. Also, the price of groceries has increased tremendously.”
Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank (HCHFB) gives food to food pantries, not the general public. HCHFB helps to supply between 30 and 40 pantries and meal programs all across Hamilton County with healthy nonperishables, produce and meat. Anita Hagen, executive director, says the food bank alone is purchasing nearly 100% of the food it is currently distributing, more than last year.
“All of the wonderful holiday food donations that came in from November through January have long since been distributed out,” Hagen says. “Also, as our local community continues to experience population growth, so does the number of food-insecure individuals continue to rise rapidly. Although we experience one of the lowest food-insecurity rates for any county in Indiana, we are also easily in the top 10 as far as sheer numbers of food-insecure individuals.”
Linda Williams with Come to Me Food Pantry at Fishers United Methodist Church says this time of year is challenging for fundraising because many families are considering taking one last vacation before school starts in the fall.
“By now we have gone through all of those donations from last year, and we’re having to purchase products,” Williams says. “Hamilton County residents can help us most by going to our website, cometomefoodpantry.org, and donating financially. We can usually use that money to purchase from Gleaners at one-third of the price. They can also bring donations to the pantry on Wednesday.”
Myers emphasizes the importance of responsibility when donating food. She says checking expiration dates before donating is crucial. While she understands that people have good intentions when cleaning out their home pantries, receiving expired items creates a challenge, as those items cannot be used and must be disposed of.
“We’re always grateful for financial donations because we have to purchase our perishable items like milk, eggs and meat,” Myers says. “While we need food donations, we also rely on financial donations.”
Hagen says this time of year is excellent for setting up food drives. She says this is also a great time of year when bountiful home gardens produce more fruits and vegetables than the average home gardener can consume. For more information on donating your homegrown bonus vegetables, visit hchfoodbank.org/donate-your-vegetables.
“The cost of living has gone up exponentially,” Myers says. “People must have a place to live, so they pay the rent or mortgage first. Unfortunately there isn’t much left, after paying all the bills, for groceries, even for people in Hamilton County.”
Hagen says the Community Compass app and website are powerful tools for families and individuals to find food nearest to them, and learn all they need to know to access healthy, needed food. Individuals in the county are working hard to ensure this is widely publicized so people can get the help they need.
Meyers says local businesses and organizations can also get involved by hosting a community service project food drive. She says Hamilton County also reaches out to local restaurants to host round-up campaigns to raise funds. She encourages Hamilton County residents to participate in such campaigns.
Nancy Chance, executive director of Good Samaritan Network of Hamilton County, says they have worked creatively to find alternative resources in the face of shortages. She encourages people to look at the pantry list and donate items directly to the Fishers-area pantries, or deliver food for donation and receive a tax receipt from Good Samaritan Network of Hamilton County.
For more information, visit fishersumc.org/FoodPantry, hchfoodbank.org, and gsnlive.org/client-assistance.
