$2 Million provided to Indiana food banks through State Department of Agriculture

“More people than we realize are suffering from food insecurity,” Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, said. “These donations support Hoosier families and individuals, and I’m grateful we are able to provide financial support to 11 local food banks.”

 According to Feeding Indiana’s Hungry (FIH), nearly 1,034,000 Hoosiers, including 1 in 5 children, experienced food insecurity in 2023, the most recent data available. 

“As we have said year after year for nearly five years, our member food banks continue to serve record numbers of Hoosier families. Too many of our neighbors continue to face difficult choices between paying bills and buying groceries with rising expenses and decreasing accessibility to federal nutrition programs. For any Hoosier to be unsure from where their next meal will come is unacceptable,” said Emily Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry.
“We’re grateful for the support of the Indiana General Assembly, Governor Braun and Lt. Gov. Beckwith, and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture for their continued and much needed support to our members to help them serve our Hoosier neighbors and our communities.”

Indiana food pantries and soup kitchens are a subsect of food banks. There are 11 food banks which supply pantries and soup kitchens across the state. Each food bank received part of the $2 million in funding, which supplies community food pantries, kitchens, churches and more. This funding will allow food pantries, soup kitchens and other food distribution centers to receive additional food products from the food bank that serves their location.

ISDA Director Don Lamb is proud to help assist our food banks and pantries that feed Hoosiers.

“Indiana farmers are skilled at growing an abundance of safe, reliable food and food banks and pantries have the necessary resources and skills to distribute large amounts of food to help community members in need,” said Lamb. “We are so thankful for the work food banks, pantries, soup kitchens and others do for their communities in helping food-insecure Hoosiers.”

John C. Etling, Agency Director of  of Catholic Charities Terre Haute expressed his gratitude for the funding. 

“Across the seven counties we serve, food insecurity has risen sharply – especially among children, where 1 in 5 are unsure of their next meal. In Vigo County alone, more than 5,000 children face hunger,” said Etling. “As federal support declines and food costs climb, local food banks are becoming the last line of defense for many families. We are grateful to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and our state leaders for this vital investment, which strengthens our ability to meet the growing need and ensures that fewer of our neighbors go to bed hungry.”

The funding was provided by the Indiana General Assembly, as part of its biennial budget. The distribution amounts were determined using The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) fair share percentages for Indiana, which captures poverty and unemployment levels in each county.

The following list includes the food banks that are receiving funding for the fiscal year 2026:

• Community Harvest Food Bank – $202,400.00
• Dare to Care Food Bank – $76,800.00
• Food Bank of Northern Indiana – $232,200.00
• Food Bank of Northwest Indiana – $199,400.00
• Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. – $195,200.00
• Freestore Foodbank– $17,800
• Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc. – $635,000.00
• Hoosier Hills Food Bank, Inc. – $80,000.00
• Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central IN, Inc. – $153,600.00
• Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank, Inc. – $89,200.00
• Tri-State Food Bank, Inc. – $118,400.00

Visit isda.in.gov to learn more about the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. Visit feedingindianashungry.org to learn more about Feeding Indiana’s Hungry.