LAFAYETTE – Food Finders Food Bank says its supplies are dwindling so low it may need to postpone some distributions to be able to serve food pantries until its major food drive in late October.
The food bank is calling on the greater Lafayette community to donate non-perishable food for distribution to the more than 160 member agencies it services across north central Indiana.
Food Finders supplies stock for several Logansport-area food banks including the one at Emmaus Mission Center.
“Our shelves are bare," Food Finders Executive Director, Katy Bunder, said in a press release. "We are receiving less produce than ever before and the supply of non-perishable food has been diminished for quite a while.
“We need donations as a stop gap measure until our major community food drive, Drive Away Hunger, starts to in late October."
While the food bank has set a 160,000 meal goal for Drive Away Hunger, food donations are needed now. The food bank currently hosts four weekly mobile pantry distributions in addition to sponsored Mobile Pantry service. Those distributions will have to be postponed unless food supplies start to increase.
Due to increasing poverty rates and high unemployment Food Finders’ distribution numbers are 222,000 lbs. higher than they were this time last year.
With an average semi-truck load of salvage costing upwards of $20,000, much of it too damaged to distribute, Food Finders is asking the community for food donations to keep up with the current demands.
Items ranging from non-perishable pantry staples such as canned soup, dried rice, beans and pasta, and canned vegetables all the way to fresh produce donations of all quantities will help the food bank bridge the gap.