The Reporter stopped at some Feeding Team pantries this week to confirm that emergency assistance is available at multiple locations, even in the face of delayed and decreased SNAP benefits and a now-historic government shutdown. (Reporter photos)
Food pantries stand ready to serve neighbors in need
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is being partially funded during November as the government shutdown continues. Benefits will reportedly be 50 percent of what a person normally receives, and as this goes to press, there is no solid information on when recipients will receive their November payment.
Hamilton County has a rich history of helping neighbors in need during difficult times. Among other things, there are food banks across the county and ample opportunities to help keep them stocked through fundraising events and direct donations. You can read about multiple programs on the front page of The Reporter in the days to come.
Today, we are highlighting The Feeding Team.
Feeding Team founders Mark and Lisa Hall have created a network of little yellow pantries that offer free, no-questions-asked nonperishable food. The Feeding Team has 78 pantries (57 in Hamilton County) and distributes approximately 22,000 meals each month with the help of volunteers. Many of the pantries are stocked directly by Feeding Team volunteers, while others are stocked by local organizations and individuals who have adopted individual pantry locations.
Every pantry is labeled with the phrase “Take what you need, give what you can.” While they are not a one-stop solution to food insecurity, they were designed with the goal of helping families in need get through a single day while they look for longer term assistance.
The Feeding Team has stripped away the possibility of shame by not asking for any identification and leaving their pantries unmonitored, trusting people to use their own discretion to take only what they need so others can do the same.
The Feeding Team, along with Gleaners Food Bank, offers drive-through food pickup events in Hamilton County. Events are held, weather permitting, the second Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at Hamilton Heights High School, 25802 State Road 19, Arcadia, and the fourth Tuesday of each month from 4 to 6 p.m. at Harbour Shores Church, 8011 E. 216th St., Cicero.
Drive-through events feature fresh produce, meat, and fruit, along with non-perishable food items.
For readers who do not need to worry about where their next meal or the next meal for their family will come from, we encourage you to help The Feeding Team continue their good work in one of three ways.
- You can take nonperishable food items to a local Feeding Team pantry and restock the shelves for those who will surely visit it soon.
- You can reach Feeding Team Founders Mark and Lisa Hall at lisa@feedingteam.org and mark@feedingteam.org or by calling (317) 832-1123 to discuss volunteering your time or making a donation.
- You can go online to FeedingTeam.org and click on the donate link at the top of the page to give money to this local 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to helping neighbors who are not as lucky as you.
A full list of local Feeding Team pantries can be found on Page 2 in today’s edition of The Hamilton County Reporter Newspaper.
