It’s Time to Push Some Pasta — The Gr8 Pasta Push Is Here

There’s a moment in our Hunger Relief kitchen that happens every single week without fail. Pounds of dried pasta — macaroni and spaghetti, mainly — make their way from donation boxes and food rescue pickups into our industrial kitchen, where our chefs transform them into hearty, nutritious meals headed to neighbors across Central Indiana. Approximately 1,500 pounds of cooked pasta every week. Week after week. Month after month.
Keeping that supply stocked takes a community. And every summer, our community shows up in a big way.

Welcome to the Gr8 Pasta Push.

What Is the Gr8 Pasta Push?
Running June 4 through June 18, the Gr8 Pasta Push is Second Helpings’ annual community-wide dried pasta drive in partnership with WISH-TV. Organizations, businesses, congregations, and community groups across Central Indiana collect boxes and bags of dried pasta and funnel them directly into our Hunger Relief kitchen, where they become meals for the 182+ partner agencies we serve across seven counties.

The math is simple and powerful. A $1 box of pasta from a break room collection bin becomes part of a meal for a child at an after-school program, a senior at an adult day center, a person in recovery at a residential facility, or a family at a food pantry. Small acts. Real impact.

Kroger Is Making It Easier Than Ever
This year we’re proud to partner with Kroger to make participation as frictionless as possible. Every Kroger location in Marion County is serving as a public pasta drop-off site during the Push, meaning there’s almost certainly a drop-off point right on your regular grocery route.

Even better, Kroger has dried pasta on sale through June 2 — the perfect opportunity to stock up before the Push officially launches on June 4. Grab a few extra boxes at checkout and you’re already part of something meaningful.
And on Friday, June 6, our team will be out in the community in person, setting up at five Kroger locations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to collect donations directly. Come find us at:
5350 E. Thompson Rd., Indianapolis
975 N. Green St., Brownsburg
5718 Crawfordsville Rd., Indianapolis
1330 W. Southport Rd., Indianapolis
9835 Fall Creek Rd., Indianapolis
Stop by, drop off your pasta, and say hello. We’d love to see you.

The Golden Colanders Are on the Line
We love a little friendly competition, and the Gr8 Pasta Push delivers. This year we’re awarding two Golden Colanders to the top-performing organizations:
Most Pasta Collected — The organization that brings in the greatest weight of dried pasta donations takes home the Golden Colander.
Most Money Raised — The organization that raises the most funds during the Push wins the second Golden Colander.

And here’s the detail that makes the fundraising competition especially exciting this year: thanks to two generous anonymous donors, there is a $10,000 match on all funds raised during the Gr8 Pasta Push. Every dollar donated between June 4 and June 18 goes twice as far. That’s not a small thing, that’s the difference between thousands of additional meals for Central Indiana neighbors.
The competition is real. The bragging rights are forever.

How to Get Involved
Whether you’re an individual, a company, a faith community, or a civic organization, there’s a place for you in the Gr8 Pasta Push.

Here’s how to participate:
Drop off pasta. Any Marion County Kroger location accepts donations June 4–18. You can also find additional public drop-off locations at secondhelpings.org/pasta.

Host a collection drive. Set up a collection box at your office, church, school, or community space.

Get on the map. Register your location as a public drop-off point on our website and help community members in your area find you. Just visit secondhelpings.org/pasta or reach out to us directly.

Raise funds. Can’t collect pasta but want to contribute? Online donations made during the Push count toward the Golden Colander fundraising competition, and are matched dollar for dollar up to $10,000.

Use the toolkit. We’ve built everything you need to promote your drive, social media templates, email copy, print flyers, and engagement ideas. Download it at secondhelpings.org/pasta and get the word out.

Why Pasta?
It’s a fair question. Of all the foods we use in our Hunger Relief kitchen, pasta is one of the most versatile, shelf-stable, and cost-effective ingredients we have. It stretches. It pairs with almost anything. It holds up in large-batch cooking. And it’s something almost anyone can donate, affordable, available at every grocery store, and easy to transport.

When you donate a box of pasta to the Gr8 Pasta Push, you’re not just donating carbohydrates. You’re donating the foundation of a meal that will be seasoned, sauced, and served with care by our Hunger Relief chefs to a neighbor who needs it.

The Kitchen Is Ready. Are You?

The Gr8 Pasta Push runs June 4 through June 18. Every box counts. Every dollar counts. And with a $10,000 match on the table and two Golden Colanders up for grabs, this is shaping up to be our biggest Push yet.

Visit secondhelpings.org/pasta to find a drop-off location, download the toolkit, register your organization, or make a donation.

Let’s push some pasta!