In new, larger facility, Hoosier Hills Food Bank expanding reach

Piles of Kellogg’s corn flakes, canned peas and even Windex stock the warehouse of Hoosier Hills Food Bank.

At Hoosier Hills, all items are a necessity.

Hoosier Hills Food Bank, which is part of Feeding America, is one of the largest food distributors in Indiana. Hoosier Hills collects food donations and sends them to nonprofit organizations.

The bank distributed 2,459,112 pounds of food in 2008, a 6 percent increase from 2007.

This month the Hoosier Hills bank already hit their goal. This is the third consecutive year the food bank has broken its previous record. 

In 2008 the Hoosier Hills Food Bank moved into a larger facility, which enabled it to have a more spacious warehouse for storing food, according to its annual report. The facility includes a new walk-in freezer that allows better food storage.

“People call up every day asking where they can get food,” office manager Jake Bruner said. “We do our best to find one of the 100 pantries we work with to help them out.”

Bruner said the bank collects canned foods, boxed foods and fresh produce. They also have a freezer and cooler on premises and can repack before distribution when necessary.

The bank provides food for families and individuals of Monroe, Owen, Martin, Orange, Brown and Lawrence Counties in central Indiana, according to its Web site. Monroe County alone makes up more than 50 percent of total distributions.

“We use a team effort approach to get things done,” Assistant Director Dan Taylor said. “People here are multifaceted. We rescue food and give it to people.”

Donations come from multiple drives held throughout the year. Barrels are placed in high-traffic areas around Bloomington such as IU buildings and grocery stores.

“IU’s campus is instrumental – it is vital here,” Bruner said.

Hoosier Hills runs many different programs in order to help as many people as they can. For example, farmers and local residents can contribute to the Plant-a-Row program by donating extra rows of fresh produce crops.

The Meal Share program receives food donations from local restaurants and food businesses, such as Olive Garden and the Indiana Memorial Union Tudor Room. Food is then repackaged into family-size portions, frozen and given directly to distribution agencies.

Families First Mobile Pantry in Lawrence County is the only direct service program at Hoosier Hills. Food trucks are loaded up and driven to the county in order to promote better child nutrition. Families and individuals are able to receive food directly off the trucks.

“The day I went with Mobile Pantry, it was raining out and everyone was soaked,” Volunteer Coordinator Kai Westerfield said. “It was just so nice to actually see where our food is going.”

Bruner said the food bank targets the elderly through their Commodity Supplemental food program. Approximately 530 boxes containing an assortment of food are given to elderly individuals of Brown County. To receive a box, residents are required to meet specific guidelines.

Westerfield said people are constantly calling in search of volunteer work.

“When volunteers come in, I set work up for them to do,” Westerfield said. “I try to get involved hands-on by learning exactly what they will be doing.”

Along with volunteers, a small staff runs Hoosier Hills. Members tend to find themselves multitasking.

“Staff must have a wonderful dedication to do this kind of work,” Executive Director Julio Alonso said. “Driven by smaller paid staff and mostly volunteers, many work outside their job description.”