Food Resources in Bloomington During the Holidays
One of the best times of the year to enjoy food is during the holiday season. Friends and families are back together, people are putting their other obligations on hold, and there is more time to consume their favorite foods. Though many people have these opportunities, there are many others that struggle to put food on the table for their families, especially around this time of year. In the City of Bloomington, 1 out of every 10 people cannot access the foods they need.
For those that may find themselves encountering this challenge this holiday season, there are many organizations and programs in the Bloomington community that can help meet this fundamental need. One of these resources is the Hoosier Hills Food Bank (Hoosier Hills). Hoosier Hills is a non-profit organization that provides food for seven counties, including Monroe County. Hoosier Hills allows people to donate their time, money, and food to provide food for others. One of the many Hoosier Hills programs is the Mobile Pantry. This program’s goal is to meet the under-served regions where they are and fulfill their need for food. These pantries are offered at four different sites each month and are open to the public free of charge. Another program that Hoosier Hills provides is the rescue project called Meal Share. This project goes to local food services collecting and safely storing prepared foods from restaurants, catering businesses, and other entities. They will sometimes take this food straight to soup kitchens or pack it into family-sized portions and freeze it for distribution agencies.
Another resource in Bloomington is Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard (MHC) which strives to increase accessibility to healthy foods within the community. MHC believes everyone deserves access to nutritious foods and that building a healthy community together is possible. They also have a food pantry which is located at 1100 W. Allen St. and is open Tuesday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. This pantry is like a small grocery store that is open to anyone who needs food. During the warmer months, MHC offers a community garden where community members come together to grow nutritious foods. They offer weekly gardening times where people learn how to garden and grow produce for the food pantry at the same time.
Some of the other food resources in the Bloomington community include Community Kitchen where free nutritious meals are provided, Monroe County United Ministries, Crestmont Community Food Pantry, Grace Center Food Pantry, First United Methodist Church, Second Baptist Church, Bloomington Township Trustee, and Perry Township Trustee. If you or someone you know needs assistance with access to food, please click on the links for location, operating hours, and additional information.
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