INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. –- In the last state budget, Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, Inc. was appropriated $300,000 per year for the two year budget. These funds will provide 1.2 million meals throughout the year for Hoosiers, with meat, produce and other food products purchased directly from Indiana-based commodity producers.

“We are thankful for the faith the Indiana General Assembly placed in our food banks to directly provide food relief to Hoosiers in need, and we will honor our commitment to purchase Indiana-based product to ensure it’s a win-win for all Hoosiers,” said John Etling, President of the Board of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, Inc. “Indiana is a commodity rich state, which will allow Feeding Indiana’s Hungry to purchase meat, produce, and other food products for our nine member food banks to be distributed to all 92 counties to Hoosiers in need of food assistance,” said Etling.

Nearly 600,000 Hoosiers experience hunger each year, with 190,000 of those being children. Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, who helped form FIsH in 2005, emphasized the importance of food banks in the current economic situation.

“Hoosiers have been tremendously impacted by the national economy, and food banks have recently seen an increase in demand of 30 to 50 percent,” Lt. Gov. Skillman said. “I’m pleased we were able to find money in this tight budget to continue feeding vulnerable Hoosiers.”

Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, Inc. is the statewide association of Feeding America affiliated food banks (formerly America’s Second Harvest). Our nine member food banks serve 1,700 agencies in all 92 counties, providing emergency food assistance to Hoosiers in need.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Industrial Federal Credit Union kicks off the 2009 Community Harvest Food Drive on Friday, October 10th. Monetary and food donations will be accepted through Halloween (October 31) at various locations throughout Greater Lafayette.

In 2008 more than 104,000 pounds of food was gathered and nearly $26,000 was donated. The 2009 goal is 120,000 pounds of food.

Community Harvest is an annual event that brings together businesses, schools, churches and citizens through a series of food drives and fundraisers benefiting Food Finders Food Bank. Since its inception nearly 20 years ago, the collaborative efforts of Community Harvest have provided mid-north Indiana with record amounts of food and funds to help feed the hungry in Greater Lafayette.

“We really hope that everyone is motivated to action,” said IFCU’s Deb McGee. “We all know that many of our friends and neighbors in this community are struggling. The slow down in the economy along with increasing food prices is making it almost impossible for some folks to make ends meet. We are asking everyone to join us in the effort, because we believe that nothing will stop us when we join together.”

“This year’s event has the potential to help so many people”, said Kim Motuliak, Food Finders Development Director. “We are kicking off the 2009 Community Harvest Food Drive on October 10, 2009, with Food Finders Family Fun Day. We are encouraging everyone to stop by the food bank, join in the fun and sign up to collect food as part of Community Harvest. We are starting with the “Food for Thought” school food drives from October 10 through Halloween. These kids work so hard to make a difference, it really is exceptional.” Motuliak said.

Local businesses are being asked to join in the effort by doing food drives with their employees. Last years total was greatly affected by a large number of small donations coming from businesses, service organizations, churches and families. In 2008 more than 104,000 pounds of food was gathered and nearly $26,000 was donated. This year’s goal is 120,000 pounds of food.

Anyone interested in helping with the 2009 Community Harvest is encouraged to contact Food Finders Food Drive or visit their website at www.food-finders.org.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University will begin collecting non-food items at campus drop-off points beginning Monday (Dec. 8th) for the annual Boilers Care-and-Share drive (formerly Gifts-in-Kind) as part of the 2009 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.

Collection boxes will be placed in university buildings through Jan. 14 for donations of family health items such as soap, deodorant, shampoo and baby products. A complete list of items will be posted at each collection site. Box locations and the items list can be found online at: http://www.purdue.edu/mlk2009

The items will be donated to the Food Finders Food Bank Inc., which serves 18 Indiana counties, including Tippecanoe County.

Purdue’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration continues with two events on Jan. 19. Students, staff and community volunteers will participate in a Day of Service followed by an appreciation luncheon. Volunteers can register to help area nonprofit organizations by calling (765) 496-2450 by Jan. 15.

The day will conclude with keynote speaker Steve Curwood, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and executive producer and host of the Public Radio International program “Living On Earth.” Curwood will speak at Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall at 7 p.m. The Purdue Dreamer Award will be presented at this time as well. The award, established in 2004, is given annually to an individual or organization within the Purdue University community whose contributions embody Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of service to others and further the university’s commitment to diversity. The award is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Ethics and Compliance.

The Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will continue with a video presentation of “Environmental Racism” at 7 p.m. Jan. 22 in the Lawson Computer Science Building, Room 1142.

Boilers Care-and-Share and other Martin Luther King Jr. events are sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Ethics and Compliance in collaboration with the Office of the Provost, Diversity Resource Office, Black Cultural Center, Office of the Vice President for Housing and Food Services, Latino Cultural Center, Native American Educational and Cultural Center and the Boiler Volunteer Network.

For more details, call (765) 494-7307 or http://www.purdue.edu/mlk2009.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Technology Student Council, made up of students from Purdue University’s College of Technology, is holding a food drive Dec. 1-12 to benefit Food Finders Food Bank in Lafayette.

Each of the eight departments in the college will have its own donation box, as will staff and administration members in the college not associated with a department. A trophy will be awarded to the department that garners the most food donations.

Boxes for staff and administration members, and for the departments of building construction management, computer graphics technology, computer and information technology, electrical and computer engineering technology, industrial technology, and mechanical engineering technology will be located in the lobby of Knoy Hall. The box for organizational leadership and supervision will be on the fourth floor of Young Hall. Aviation technology will have two boxes: One in Hangar 6 and one in the department head’s office in the Niswonger Aviation Technology Building.

To kick off the food drive on Dec. 1, the Technology Student Council will hold a breakfast bar from 8-10 a.m. in the lobby of Knoy. Hot chocolate and granola-type breakfast foods will be sold. Proceeds will benefit the Technology Student Council.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Boiler Volunteer Network collected more than 12,000 pounds of food this month thanks to Purdue University students, faculty and staff.

The eighth annual Fall Harvest Food Drive solicited donations from the Purdue community, with all items going to the Food Finders Food Bank, which serves 16 Indiana counties.

Twenty-five student organizations participated, and the Boiler Volunteer Network Student Leadership Team donated the most food in that category, with 933 pounds turned in.

Six residence halls made donations, with Owen Hall turning in the most at 648 pounds.

Nine university academic and administrative units participated in the food drive, with Purdue Telefund donating the most in that category, with 1,310 pounds.

In the fraternity, sorority and cooperative house category, Theta Chi gave the most, with 506 pounds. Eight other organizations also participated.

Four people also made donations as individuals, with Josh Garrison, a junior majoring in prepharmacy from Noblesville, Ind., giving the most at 63 pounds.