United Way of Franklin and Ripley Counties Addressing Food Insecurity

Monday, November 18, 2024 at 1:12 PM

By United Way of Franklin and Ripley Counties, news release

Please consider making a year-end financial gift to drive collaborative local solutions.

(Brookville, Ind.) - A recent United for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report, ALICE in the Crosscurrents: COVID and Financial Hardship in Indiana, indicated that 1 in 3 households in Franklin and Ripley Counties struggle to earn enough to cover basic needs like food, housing, transportation, healthcare and childcare. Gleaners reports there are 5,530 people that experience food insecurity in Franklin and Ripley Counties, and 1,700 of those are children.

‘These numbers can feel staggering, and we’ve decided as an organization to focus efforts on increasing access to nutritious food options to families in our community”, states Kelly Bulmer, CEO of United Way of Franklin and Ripley Counties. “Our goal in the coming year is to begin a weekend backpack food program in the Franklin County Community School Corporation similar to the one in Ripley County that we support and increase the amount of assistance to our local food pantries who are seeing 25 to 35% increases in families served per month.”

Red Life food bank serves over 150 families a month in Brookville, Indiana. They recently received a grant from a partnership with United Way and The Franklin County Community Foundation to replace a compressor on one of their large freezers.

“I am so proud of the food options we offer to the families we serve; they get fresh produce and frozen protein options made possible from the funding we’ve received,” states Judy Drake, coordinator for Red Life Food Pantry.

Local support for these programs and services is made possible by generous donations from individuals, employers and employees.

Please consider making a year-end financial gift to drive collaborative local solutions to our communities shared challenges like food insecurity. You can donate securely online at www.uwfcin.org or mail a check to United Way of Franklin and Ripley Counties PO Box105 Brookville, IN 47012.