HUNGER (FOOD INSECURITY) PERVASIVE IN INDIANAPOLIS AREA

Children Seniors Suburbanites

• Food insecurity touches 1 in 5

REALITY OF THE NEED IN OUR CITY

• Who are these hungry people?

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Moral Economic Health Social ills

INDIANAPOLIS FOOD “SYSTEM”

WHERE HUNGRY HOOSIERS GET FOOD

91% of meals are provided by federal programs.

INDY HUNGER NETWORK (IHN) MISSION:

Create a system by 2015 that ensures anyone who is hungry can access the nutritious food they need.

IHN PHILOSOPHY

• Data-based systemic solutions

• Outcome focused vs. activities

• Prioritized projects

• Collaborative

• Community experts and casual volunteers

• Sustainability by strengthening the

partners

IHN’S DATA-BASED APPROACH

IHN’S DATA-BASED APPROACH

IHN SUCCESSES

• Private, public, faith, for-profit together • Completed: bulk purchasing, backsacks • Data-based understanding of the systems • Skilled volunteers engaged • Small core staff in place

IMPROVED NUTRITION

• Nutrition standards built into School Meals, WIC, Summer Servings, CICOA, Meals on Wheels, and Second Helpings

• A full Pantry Partner network can reach most low income people - Fresh produce from gleaning/ farming/purchase

- On-site nutrition education

WHAT IS THE GOAL?

27 MILLION MEALS BY 2015

THE GOAL IS ATTAINABLE

PARTNER PROJECTS

• Gleaners Strategic Growth Plan

• Second Helpings Expansion

IHN PROJECTS

SNAP (SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM) • Reaches who it’s supposed to

- Avg household income $731/mo,

assets of only $333

- 47% are children, 7% are elderly

• Participation tied to economy

• Does not create dependency

- Avg time on program 9 months

• Low fraud and error rates

• Tobacco, alcohol excluded

• Charity alone cannot feed everyone

CONNECT2HELP 2-1-1’S VISION

• Primary source for human services information

• Highly accessible • Key source of insights about

needs and trends

The hungry need 2-1-1 to navigate the system.

• What 2-1-1 needs: - Fundraising capacity - Awareness of 2-1-1

WHERE IHN NEEDS SUPPORT

THANK YOU

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

- Henry Ford