On Thursday, July 16, the Northern Brown County Food Alliance will conduct a free food distribution at the Fruitdale Volunteer Fire Department, 5200 State Road 135 North, from 5 to 7 p.m.
It’s one of several such events that various groups have organized around the county to help people feed themselves and their families with limited income during the pandemic.
According to Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, food insecurity is expected to rise by 40 percent among Indiana residents in 2020. This will put 1 in 5 Hoosiers at risk of hunger, including more than 414,500 children, according to the USDA.
Many organizations in Brown County have come together to fight hunger, such as COAD, St. Vincent de Paul, Brown County Schools and Mother’s Cupboard.
A new group has formed to specifically target Jackson and Hamblen townships, which are further away from Nashville’s grocery store and other resources.
The Northern Brown County Food Alliance grew after it was announced that the Bean Blossom Farmers Market couldn’t open this year because of coronavirus concerns. The market was a key source of fresh food in that area.
“Our concern was that with food insecurity, people in the northern part of the county would experience this,” organizer Donna Niednagel said about food insecurity.
“There are many citizens in the northern part of the county who can’t shop at quick stops other than the Dollar General.”
The NBCFA brought in members from St. David’s Episcopal Church’s outreach committee, Jackson Township Trustee Sandy Higgins and various food distributing programs. Brown County Schools and the Brown County Weekend Backpacks program are still reaching some families in northern Brown County who have school-aged children.
“We know that there are 40 Helmsburg and Sprunica families who were receiving food distribution,” Niednagel said. “Of those 40, 13 families were getting food delivered by bus or to their homes.”
Working with organizations like TRIAD and Thrive Alliance, the NBCFA began to see what they could do to have people connected.
One problem the NBCFA discovered is that people are not aware of what resources are available to them, especially with many northern families lacking access to internet.
“We got our own phone number,” Niednagel said, which people can call and then they will be connected to the right programs. That number is 812-720-4054.
“Few people were aware that Thrive Alliance delivers meals twice a month at no charge,” she said, “right to their doorstep. (NBCFA) is how you get connected to that program.”
They are relying on word of mouth and other means of communication in order to spread the word that they are there to serve.
At Thursday’s food distribution at Fruitdale Fire, food will come from St. Vincent de Paul as well as hot meal boxes from Mother’s Cupboard food pantry. To reserve food boxes and ensure availability, call 812-720-4054.
The NBCFA will ask visitors to fill out a simple survey in their cars to see what the need for food is in the northern part of the county.
“It’s been really rewarding and encouraging, to get people connected to service when the need is so great,” Niednagel said.
