The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana has been providing critical food assistance to individuals and families in need since 1982, and is the only food bank serving Lake and Porter counties. The idea for the Food Bank in Northwest Indiana was born in 1981 when two local United Way and Steel Worker representatives at a conference in Indianapolis learned about how a food bank could positively impact their community. They were so inspired that they brought the idea back home to the Region and, within a year, the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana was established.
The Food Bank of NWI is not the largest such facility in the state, but it does have the largest caseload, including 1,700 senior citizens. The move to 6490 Broadway happened in 2018 and the following year — its first full year in the new digs — the nonprofit set what was then a record of 6 million pounds. In 2020, COVID-19 hit and pushed the total to 11 million pounds. The food bank has since distributed 9 million pounds in 2021, 7 million each in 2022 and last year. All of it serves families, children, seniors and individuals in Lake and Porter Counties. Regionally Speaking host Dee Dotson is joined by the organization's President & CEO Victor Garcia to learn more about the mission \to feed people today and end hunger tomorrow.
For more information on how to volunteer or donate, visitfoodbanknwi.org.
