At The Elaine Food Pantry at Southeast Community Services, the workday begins long before doors open. Volunteers sort produce, fill online orders and restock walk-in shelves to prepare for the steady flow of neighbors seeking support.
For staff, the mission remains simple: meet people where they are, with dignity and choice.
“We are primarily an online food pantry, so we have orders that people come in each week and they can choose exactly what their families need and want,” said Shelva Floyd, the community coordinator and lone full-time employee.
That choice-based model has become increasingly important as food prices remain high and the city’s need grows. The Elaine is based in Fountain Square, and doesn’t have boundary restrictions, serving neighbors across Marion County. While the pantry once functioned almost entirely through scheduled online orders, demand has stretched far beyond what appointments alone can handle.
Neighbors line up outside The Elaine’s walk-in pantry.
“We’ve had so much demand on the online ordering side that we have added a walk-in section,” Floyd said. “So people that can’t get orders, for whatever reason, they can come visit us. We always have produce and assorted pantry items for them to take.”
The addition has allowed the pantry to expand access for neighbors whose schedules, transportation or technology barriers prevent them from using the online platform. It is one of several ways the team has adapted its services to meet heightened demand.
Another major component is the pantry’s weekly produce market, a rapid-fire distribution that moves thousands of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables into the hands of residents.
“And then, we do a weekly produce market called Produce for the People,” Floyd said. “That’s every Wednesday, we see about 200 people [and] give away about 5,000 pounds of produce in a couple of hours.”
The needs vary from household to household, but the pantry’s commitment remains broad and inclusive.
“I don’t know that we have a typical neighbor or typical visitor,” Floyd said. “We see everyone from all walks of life from all areas of the city. We help anybody that needs food. Man, woman, child, seniors — we see them all.”
Shelva Floyd is the pantry coordinator for The Elaine and has helped oversee the incorporation of a physical pantry alongside the online orders utilized by the community.
This November brought an added layer of difficulty. The recent government shutdown left many families, and the organizations that support them, unsure about what resources would be available in the coming weeks.
The timing, just ahead of the holiday season, amplified stress for families trying to maintain stability.
When asked what it has been like working in hunger relief during this turbulent stretch, Floyd described a climate of instability.
“There’s been a lot of uncertainty, both for us and for our neighbors,” they said. “We certainly didn’t have any more clarity on the situation than our neighbors did. So that made it a little trickier to try and serve people, you know. Because we don’t have answers for them either.”
During government disruptions, many households turn to food pantries for temporary support while benefits are delayed or income is interrupted. For local organizations, uncertainty becomes a daily operational challenge — planning inventory, staffing and distribution while anticipating sudden spikes in need.
A volunteer helps fulfill and track online distribution orders at The Elaine.
“We can only do what we can do,” Floyd said.
Despite the complications, pantry staff say this year has also revealed something hopeful. As government systems wavered, the local community stepped in. The pantry saw an increase in volunteers, donations and outreach from residents wanting to help.
Volunteers help fulfill hundreds of online orders at The Elaine Food Pantry in Fountain Square.
“It has been really uplifting and heartwarming to see the outpouring from the community,” Floyd said. “We’ve had a lot more people reaching out to see how they can volunteer, see the different ways that they can help. So, that has been a good restoration of faith in our community. And, you know, seeing them rally around the people that need it.”
The holidays typically mark the busiest time of year for food assistance programs, with many families trying to balance fixed incomes against seasonal expenses. This year, inflation and uncertainty heightened those pressures, but the pantry’s supporters responded by helping stock shelves and fill volunteer shifts.
From seniors to families with young children; from recently unemployed residents to those navigating chronic poverty, the pantry serves everyone they can without boundaries, without judgment.
The past several months underscored how fragile food security can be for many Indianapolis households, especially during periods of political or economic instability. But they have also revealed the strength of a community willing to show up for one another.
“The people we serve, they’re in a tough spot. They have needs that aren’t being met for a variety of reasons. We’re just trying to fill the gap and get them on a better path as much as we can,” Floyd said.
You can learn more about how The Elaine is giving back, and get a look at pantry hours, here.
