One out of ten Bloomington residents struggles with food insecurity — having limited or uncertain access to food. A patchwork system of food banks, community kitchens, food-assistance programs, and other initiatives helps people get healthful food, but experts say it doesn’t address the root of the problem: poverty. Read part 2 of our Deep Dive into food insecurity.
Parents working multiple jobs, college students struggling financially, elderly veterans with health conditions. These are just some of the folks who experience food insecurity in our community. People working to fight hunger in Monroe County say they can’t keep up with the demand. This first article in a two-part series will look at the problem. Click here for a Deep Dive into food insecurity.
The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program encourages young Hoosier scholars to “engage with each other and with state leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana.” Among the ten high school seniors named finalists in Monroe County, two will receive four-year college tuition. Laurie D. Borman spoke with several of the inspiring students. Click here to meet the finalists for the Lilly Endowment Scholarship.
Duane Busick’s oral history of the Soup Bowl Benefit, in words and video, gives a behind-the-scenes look at the event that has raised $1.5 million for the Hoosier Hills Food Bank since 1994. This year, the 27th Soup Bowl includes actual soup bowls and a livestream music show. Click here for Duane’s oral history and to learn about this year’s event.
Building equity and supporting community access to healthy food are at the heart of the People’s Open Pantry, a new initiative under the aegis of the People’s Market, writes Ellen Wu. But starting a pantry during a pandemic takes dedication and planning. Wu talked to several of the people involved in the effort.
Click here to read the story.
A group of vendors, community organizers, and university professors began meeting last year to plan what would become the People’s Market, “a farmers market model unprecedented in Bloomington and Indiana,” writes IU history professor Ellen Wu. When COVID-19 “upended everything,” the group quickly reoriented to create a drive-thru CSA. Click here to read about the People’s Market.
Bloomington and Monroe County officials, organizations, and individuals have responded to the COVID-19 crisis by developing programs and resources to help people trying to cope in the pandemic. Limestone Post has compiled this list for people who need help, who want to help, or who just want more information. Click here for the list.
Too many people in our community have to choose between paying for food and some other need — utilities, transportation, medical care, or even housing. Food donations are critical, but the effort is more like treating a symptom than finding a cure, says writer Erin Hollinden, who spoke to local food-insecurity experts for this story. Click here to read the full story.
