Indy Hunger Network

Cooking matters: cooking matters is a course designed to teach basic cooking skills and nutrition information to people who are using food assistance. The classes are designed to help participants learned how to prepare healthy meals at home on a limited budget. Participants make meals together in class each week and take home a bag of groceries to prepare the same meal for their families. Classes are taught at community centers, schools, day care centers, and food pantries in central Indiana.

Food pantry Network: the food pantry Network is a program that connects and supports food pantries in the greater indianapolis area. Food pantries are convened for a one-day conference each year, and pantries build collaborative partnerships through quarterly township group meetings. We provide education, technical assistance, and funding for implementation of best practices in central Indiana food pantries.

Community compass: community compass is a multi-platform technology that connects users with information about how to access food assistance programs in Indiana. Community compass was developed in partnership with the city of indianapolis and is available as a website and free smartphone app.

All other accomplishments the Indy Hunger Network operates several programs designed to improve nutrition, access, and sustainability of the Hunger relief system in the greater indianapolis area, with the goal of ensuring that all who are hungry have access to the nutritious food they need. Cooking matters is a six-week course that teaches basic cooking skills and nutrition information to people who are using food assistance. Classes are taught at community centers, schools, churches, day care centers, and food pantries across marion county. Community compass is a multi-platform technology tool that provides people with easy access to information on food assistance through their phones and computers. Our food pantry Network is aimed at supporting food pantries throughout the city by connecting them to experts and to each other. Through our annual food pantry networking summit and quarterly food pantry meetings in each township, we are working to help pantries collaborate with each other and implement best practices. The food drop program provides donation information through www.foodropin.org to truck drivers with rejected loads of food that they wish to donate rather than dumping in the landfill. The wic marketing project is a collaboration with the state and marion county wic offices to increase awareness of wic eligibility and benefits to increase enrollment by eligible women and children. We conduct an unmet need study of Hunger in marion county every three years.