MUNCIE, Ind. —The Second Harvest Food Bank’s mission is to help feed those suffering from food insecurity and provide hope for tomorrow by addressing the causes of food insecurity while empowering people toward self-sufficiency. Second Harvest is the largest hunger relief organization in East Central Indiana, which includes Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, and Wabash Counties. Within these counties, over 71,000 people are food insecure. Employees and volunteers work hard to put a smile on people’s faces in the community. The volunteer coordinator, Tina Clifton, talks about when she handed flowers to community members at the food bank.
“I walked up to her and said thank you for being part of the community, and she started crying and said that she had been suicidal and this was her sign to hold on,” said Clifton.
This organization reminds the community that it is okay to struggle sometimes. In 2024, it distributed over 7,646,000 meals. President and CEO Bekah Clawson expressed her concern about the vast hunger in East Central Indiana.
“Food is a right. We should all have food to eat. It is something that we all need; it is something we all need to survive,” said Clawson.
Distributions occur primarily in the community, although they do one from their warehouse on the first Saturday of every month. Delaware County has distributions at the Muncie Mall on the second and fourth Thursdays of every month. Other distributions take place with their mobile markets.
“Being able to help the over 71,000 people who identify as food insecure in our eight-county region, and knowing that we are making a difference in their lives and that they are not going to bed hungry,” said Bekah Clawson, is the reason why she does what she does.
This organization is always looking for assistance and urges Ball State students to volunteer. If you would like to volunteer or make a donation, visit www.curehunger.org.
Contact Cameron Noe with comments at cameron.noe@bsu.edu.
