GREG MORRIS: Gleaners Food Bank responds to COVID-19

Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana faces challenging times. Even before the pandemic, CEO John Elliott and company had been working on transformational change to close the region’s 53-million-meal gap by the end of fiscal 2023. Little did they know a pandemic would soon provide an opportunity to meet or exceed many key deliverables of the strategy three years early.

I asked Elliott to let us know how the organization is responding to the overwhelming needs during this crisis. In his words:

“To say we have our work cut out for us is an understatement, but I am heartened by the operative word ‘we’ and the myriad collaborative partnerships we have built or joined. Learning and changes to every aspect of how we function resulting from this pandemic are positioning Gleaners to become the best poverty relief partner possible.

“Today, we must focus on immediate needs. When we emerge from this crisis, we will further transform how we operate, serving many more clients with more produce, dairy and protein, and healthier meal-making options. Dramatic efficiency improvements and broad collaboration with our partners in the interconnected challenges of poverty, employment and education are providing new opportunities to empower families and build strong, sustainable communities.

“In March, more than 5 million pounds of food was distributed in our 21-county service area. By comparison, we distributed just over 30 million pounds in all of 2019. We’re distributing 30,000 emergency food boxes each week through a variety of existing partnerships, as well as through new channels, such as Indianapolis Public Schools, Goodwill, the Urban League and Little Red Door Cancer Agency. From April 14-16, we served over 5,000 households through a drive-thru distribution at our warehouse, versus 1,500 weekly before COVID-19.

“Since the pandemic hit, our weekly incremental cost has steadily climbed as our distribution climbed. The additional expenses associated with this have gone from just under $400,000 in the first couple of weeks to just over $600,000 last week and an estimated $680,000 this week. We are purchasing four weeks out due to the still-unstable and very-competitive food supply chain, so we are ordering for late May/early June now. We’ll need an estimated $6 million more to get us into September.

“Through the challenges, I’ve been deeply moved by so many stepping up to help us meet this challenge. When we put out a call for volunteers, more than 500 people signed up. When word spread that we needed funding, Jim Irsay, Jeff Simmons and the Elanco team, a United Way-led donor consortium and many others responded. On March 9, we realized we could not continue business as usual. Gleaners staff came together and quickly put a plan in place for a drive-thru distribution model that was operational in less than 24 hours.

“Many people served at our distributions never imagined they would need help providing food for their families. Restaurant, hospitality and convention workers found themselves unemployed with virtually no notice. Some aren’t eligible for unemployment. We see fear and anxiety in the eyes of Hoosier neighbors as they seek help across all our 21 counties. By the time they leave—trunks filled with shelf-stable foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen meat and other items—they are smiling, and my heart is warmed in turn.

“We will emerge from this crisis stronger and united. The amazing Gleaners team and our poverty-relief partners will continue the collaborative work that has been so impactful for so many hungry neighbors.”

Please help support Gleaners if you can. Learn more at gleaners.org. Thank you.•

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Morris is IBJ publisher. To comment, send email to gmorris@ibj.com.