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Indiana National Guard Leaving Hoosier Food Banks

DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP

The Indiana National Guard is scheduled to end its six-month deployment to aid Indiana’s food banks on September 30.

Like many food banks, the Food Bank of Northern Indiana saw an increase in demand when the pandemic began back in March. It also had to switch to a no-contact distribution model, meaning all food needed to be pre-bagged and boxed. 

 

“That required additional volunteers that, unfortunately, for a couple of weeks, we didn’t have,” said Marijo Martinec, Executive Director and CEO of the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.

 

She says that after those couple of weeks, 20 National Guard troops were deployed to the food bank to help pack and deliver food.

 

“We sent them out on distributions and helping us really run this food bank over the past five months,” Martinec explained.

 

With those troops scheduled to leave at the end of the month, Martinec says that the food bank is back to recruiting volunteers, not only for its main site in South Bend, but also within its six-county service area.

“We have been doing bonus distributions in various communities each week and we need volunteers to help with those drive-through distributions,” Martinec added.

 

For more information on donating to or volunteering at the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, visit their website here.

 

Gemma DiCarlo came to Indiana by way of Athens, Georgia. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2020 with a degree in Journalism and certificates in New Media and Sustainability. She has radio experience from her time as associate producer of Athens News Matters, the flagship public affairs program at WUGA-FM.
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