Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana released our 2025 Impact Report, highlighting the continued rise in need as neighbors struggled to make ends meet due to inflation, rent increases and stagnant wages.
2025 continued the troubling pattern of rising hunger in our state and a rollback of resources for neighbors facing hunger. As the largest food bank in Indiana, we have a responsibility to meet that need. In 2025 Gleaners and Fresh Connect Central distributed more than 102 million meals.
Here are some key takeaways from this year’s report.
Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana and its wholesale food distributor, Fresh Connect Central, distributed 102,265,583 meals during fiscal year 2025. We helped expand access to nutritious food across our 21-county service area and worked with trusted food bank partners nationwide to address the root causes of hunger.
Of those 102 million+ meals, network partners distributed 39,635,352 meals, while 7,647,078 meals came through Gleaners’ on-site pantry, the largest of its kind in Indiana.
Gleaners also delivered food directly to communities through a range of targeted programs.
This included 3,120,015 meals distributed through 265 mobile pantries, 1,936,879 meals through 60 school pantries, and 607,765 meals through senior programs. We distributed an additional 1,344,562 meals through Gleaners2Go and Home Delivery, expanding access for neighbors facing transportation or mobility barriers.
Through Fresh Connect Central, Gleaners distributed 56,242,413 meals to Feeding America food banks nationwide, supporting food access far beyond Indiana.
Nutrition and Access
During fiscal year 2025, 69% of all food distributed by Gleaners was ranked as nutritious based on Healthy Eating Research (HER) guidelines, reflecting the organization’s continued focus on food quality alongside quantity.
Gleaners’ SNAP outreach efforts contributed to 1,529,975 meals, assisting 3,444 neighbors with access to federal nutrition benefits.
Hunger in the Service Area
Across Gleaners’ 21-county service area, hunger remains a persistent challenge. An estimated 1 in 7 people, including 1 in 6 children experience food insecurity. Overall, 331,320 people, including 102,270 children, face food insecurity in the region.
The food insecurity rate across the service area stands at 13.9%, while the child food insecurity rate is 17.5%. Statewide, more than 1 million Hoosiers face hunger.
Community Resource Center Expansion
In May, Gleaners celebrated the opening of the Tom and Julie Wood Family Resource Center — a collaborative space designed to connect neighbors with services that support long-term stability. The center brings together organizations offering assistance with SNAP enrollment, Medicaid, utility relief and other public benefits.
Partner organizations include Gennesaret Free Clinics, the Purdue Patterson-McCallum-Mareta Charitable Pharmacy, Indiana WIC, the Marion County Public Health Department, CICOA, SK Huffer and Associates, Indiana Justice Project, Diaper Bank and the Indy YMCA.
Gleaners’ Community Resource Specialists provide case management and application assistance, with the goal of supporting pathways toward greater self-sufficiency.
People Powering the Mission
Gleaners’ work during fiscal year 2025 was made possible by 137 employees and 12,744 volunteers, whose combined efforts made large-scale food distribution and community outreach possible.
In 2025, Inc. Magazine named Gleaners to its Best Places to Work list, becoming the only nonprofit organization recognized with this distinct honor.
Mission and Vision
Gleaners’ mission is to be a leader in the fight against hunger. Our vision remains food for every table and empowerment for every future, with a continued focus on equitable access to nutritious food and collaboration to address the conditions that cause food insecurity.
You can read the full 2025 Impact Report here.
