During the COVID-19 pandemic, drivers avoided 8th Street on Friday mornings. They knew it would be lined with cars inching toward the Ross Community Center parking lot to receive free bags of fresh produce and pantry staples during an unstable and confusing time.
The center’s executive director, Jacqueline Hanoman, said she started the weekly community market in 2019 after the nearby Marsh Supermarket closed two years prior. The weekly market is still serving communities post-COVID. Hanoman said it has kept community members from resorting to processed, expensive options at nearby gas stations due to a lack of transportation.
While some may see the market as charity work, Hanoman sees it as “friends helping friends through a difficult situation.” To her, it serves as a reminder that supporting everyone, no matter their hardships, is a way to assist them in getting back on their feet.
Along with other volunteers and neighbors, she also checks in with residents during the weekly events, which are now held every other Friday from 3 to 4 p.m.
As volunteers pass out produce, frozen meat, canned goods and personal hygiene products, they talk with residents about health, faith, and area events and resources.
“We are able to sit with people and get to know them and their needs and hopes,” Hanoman said.
Those conversations with “the same people who come in week after week” help build connections that are rooted in trust. She hears about the daughter fighting leukemia, the grandparents taking care of their grandchildren and the husband struggling through cancer.
Hanoman knows she can’t fix all the problems confided in her, but she strives to lend a helping hand, listen with open ears and provide a few recipes along the way.
“It’s not as much about giving as it is about knowing they’re OK,” Hanoman said. “Even if they’re not OK, the smile you gave them or [asking], ‘How are you doing?’ helped them … It’s nourishing work.”
According to a 2017 report from Muncie Food Hub, one in four Muncie and Delaware County residents struggles with food insecurity. Many residents must travel to access necessities, and a lack of reliable transportation makes the journey difficult.
“Not everyone has a car. Even if you have a car, gas is expensive, [and] you have to carpool sometimes,” Hanoman said. “When you go on the bus, you can only carry what you can carry in your arms.”
Longitudinal data from No Kids Hungry confirms food insecurity affects concentration, memory, mood and motor skills in children. According to the study, learning outcomes suffer when kids experience hunger, and empty bellies often lead to behavioral challenges.
To combat these outcomes, Hanoman gives out free books and snacks to younger market-goers. This is how she met 12-year-old Savannah, who comes to the market with her grandmother. Savannah, who “stole my heart,” Hanoman said, now has a shelf full of books and credits Hanoman for inspiring her love for reading.
But as much as she loves to see Savannah and others week after week, Hanoman said she is often glad when she doesn’t see regulars come to the market. “It usually means they’re doing much better on their own,” she explained. To Hanoman, “Nothing is better than hearing a neighbor say, ‘I got a job.’”
‘Friends Helping Friends’
Not all neighbors stock up at the market. Some come to offer support. Henry Brown is among the volunteers who pass out up to 5,000 pounds of food to 400-450 people each market day. He came across the outreach in 2020 while on a walk and has stopped by ever since to pass out food and talk with neighbors.
“I’m not worried about the glory. I’m just here to help,” said the 63-year-old veteran. “I do the best I can with the community.”
Brown described the center’s volunteers as “the village needed to make the markets run.” At 1 p.m. every other Friday, the center’s food truck rolls up to the Ross Center with donations from Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana. Volunteers and the center’s small staff gather to sort the delivery into boxes. Each box is given an assortment of fruits, vegetables and frozen meals.
Although Hannoman started the market, she has empowered staff and volunteers to coordinate and promote the event. David Robbins, the center’s sports coordinator, has managed market operations for the past year.
“There [are] probably a few people every time we do the pantry, [where] this is the best part of their day, coming to talk to us and engaging with us,” Robbins said. “It might not seem like a lot of food, but the little bit of food that's in these boxes is just enough to stretch that Social Security check. It seems like a small impact, but for some of these families, it's huge because they depend on it every other week.”
Robbins would know. He grew up one street over at his grandma’s house on 11th Street. Understanding the circumstances of his neighbors pushes Robbins to serve them.
“We barely made it month to month. As I get older, I see the things my grandmother did to sacrifice to get there, and that's exactly what [I do for] these people. I do it myself as a parent,” Robbins said.
Whether it’s downpouring or 90 degrees, Robbins said he can count on seeing Leonard, a resident on oxygen and battling cancer. His wife’s heart only works at 32 percent, but despite difficulty getting out of the house, Leonard pulls up in his white truck and always greets Robbins and Hanoman with a bright, appreciative smile.
Lending a hand
Hanoman has diligently worked to build a solid support staff and group of volunteers. Her husband, John Ambrosio, has volunteered at the market for three years and is proud of his wife’s community-focused efforts.
“She raises the money, and she sets up the whole thing. We just do the groundwork,” Ambrosio said. “It’s nice because people are very appreciative. It’s nice to be able to do something for our neighbors.”
The Ross Center is always looking for volunteers to support its range of wellness, educational and athletic activities. Hanoman said she encourages any Ball State students or Muncie residents to donate dry goods during regular business hours or spend a Friday volunteering at the market.
Those interested in volunteer opportunities can visit the Ross Community Center website to learn about the market. The site also features a donation list for the market and the center’s other efforts.
Contact Jessica Velez via email at jessica.velez@bsu.edu.
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