Lilly Endowment Inc. has provided $1.364 million to proceed with an urgently needed, 40,000-square-foot expansion of its refrigerated storage capacity needed for nutritious, perishable food distribution. The balance of the funding is provided by the Federal CARES Act via the Indiana Department of Health.
- In 2019, nearly half the food distributed by Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana and Fresh Connect Central, the Regional Produce Cooperative it operates, was fresh fruits and vegetables – up 90% in just two years.
- A back-up generator and relocation of Gleaners food sorting areas are included in the $3.2 million project. Gleaners is working with DEEM, an Indianapolis-based contractor, on the project.
“Ever since the food bank was established in 1980, Lilly Endowment has been a champion of our mission,” said John Elliott, Gleaners President/CEO. “Lilly Endowment has consistently supported Gleaners as we implement impactful, strategic initiatives for long-term sustainability and to improve critical outcomes for our community and our partners.”
In 2016, Lilly Endowment made a significant grant to strengthen Gleaners’ endowment and build up fundraising capacity. Income from the endowment has helped Gleaners build a very comprehensive strategic plan and face the effects of the pandemic, which have included:
- A rapid rise in the number of food-insecure households in the communities Gleaners serves (an increase of 120 percent in one fiscal year)
- A massive disruption in food donation and distribution channels
- Increased costs to purchase food to supplement donations as high as eight times normal
- A temporary loss of volunteers, who historically have provided 40 percent of the work at Gleaners
In addition, support from the Central Indiana Community Economic Relief Fund (C-CERF) – made up of a coalition of donors organized by the United Way of Central Indiana and funded in large part by Lilly Endowment – has helped Gleaners cope with these challenges.
“When we moved into our warehouse in 2010, the 30,000 square feet of temperature-controlled storage space seemed more than sufficient,” added Elliott. “After the launch of the Produce Hope initiative in 2017, we increased the amount of fresh produce distributed in our 21-county service area by 90 percent in just two years. Our total food distribution more than doubled again from 42,275,951 in 2019 to 87,525,604 pounds in 2020. That would intensely strain the organization even without a pandemic.”
Prior to the May 2017 launch of the regional produce co-operative (now known as Fresh Connect Central), Gleaners received no fresh produce direct from farmers. But in 2019, nearly half of the food distributed by Gleaners in its 21-county service area was fresh fruits and vegetables. Gleaners’ strategic plan emphasizes increasing not just produce, but also lean proteins, dairy, and other perishable items to nourish families and improve overall health. That could not be done without the cooler expansion.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gleaners’ cooler has been literally overflowing. Partly due to a food supply chain more disrupted and unpredictable than any time since WW II, Gleaners turned to costly off-site storage and rented semi-trailers to store fresh produce, dairy and meat to feed hungry neighbors coming to Gleaners and its partners for assistance. Due to limited storage space, a disheartening number of trucks loaded with perishable items have been turned away in recent months – each representing approximately 33,000 meals.
Installation of the cooler space has caused Gleaners to relocate and update spaces devoted to food sorting and other activities. These renovations have led to increased efficiency and have allowed for greater social distancing. Gleaners’ need for a “clean room” used to sort bulk meat into family-sized packaging and additional freezer space are also high priorities and likely will be the next major capital investment for the state’s largest hunger relief organization.