Carla Clark | For The Republic Capt. TA Smith, back center, was one of the deputies delivering the food that the Bartholomew County Sheriff Department collected during its annual Pack a Patrol Car food drive to Love Chapel, Columbus, Ind., Thursday, November 21, 2024. This act of kindness highlights the ongoing efforts of local organizations to address food insecurity.
"Local Food Pantries Battle Rising Demand and Seek Solutions"
Love Chapel: A Beacon of Hope in Food Distribution
Love Chapel, located at 292 Center St., has seen a significant increase in the number of families it serves. It is now serving around 1,600 families per month, up from 1,400 last year and 750 two years ago. Executive Director Kelly Daugherty stated that for the first eight months of the year, they averaged what they had last year without a major increase. However, the last three months have shown a 6% to 7% rise since September. This growth poses challenges for the organization in terms of fundraising and storage space. Love Chapel is on pace to give out 2.4 million pounds of food this year, which is five times the weight of the Statue of Liberty, and an increase from 2.2 million pounds last year. "Our biggest challenge is going to be space," Daugherty said. "We're paying rent on an offsite warehouse just to try to keep up with the space that we need, and we're just bursting at the seams at the pantry."The Salvation Army: Reaching Out to the Community
The Salvation Army, situated at 2525 Illinois St., is serving about 550 families per month. Social Services Director Nancy Johnson mentioned that the organization is seeing a continuous increase. On November 12, they served 45 families in four hours, and this week has been particularly busy with 30 families on Monday and 48 on Tuesday. They have already had 100 families this week. The Salvation Army has been sending produce to the Arbors at Water's Edge apartment complex twice a month, aiming to take care of those in need. Both Love Chapel and the Salvation Army welcome any donations, especially dry goods like peanut butter, cereal, beans, rice, ramen noodles, and macaroni and cheese. Even if they have an abundance of a particular item, they will use it to meet the high demand.Impact of Food Insecurity in Bartholomew County
According to the most recent data from Feeding America, the number of Bartholomew County residents experiencing food insecurity rose in 2022 to its highest total in at least 13 years. The rise coincides with Indiana's decision to end pandemic-related enhanced food stamp benefits and inflation that started spiking in 2021 and peaked at 9.1% in June 2022. Food insecurity is defined as a lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Data from Feeding America shows that an additional 2,800 Bartholomew County residents experienced food insecurity in 2022 compared to the previous year. Overall, 11,320 local residents were food insecure in 2022, the highest total on record since 2009 when 14.1% of local residents were food insecure during the Great Recession. A nationally representative survey by the Urban Institute found that food hardship continued to rise across the country in 2023. Last year, 27% of U.S. adults reported experiencing food insecurity, up from 24.9% in 2022 and 22.5% in 2019. "There are a lot of people hurting, and we have to figure out how to fix it economically," Daugherty said.READ MORE