Milestone: 500,000 volunteer hours served
At Second Helpings, we often tell anyone within earshot that the mission to transform lives through the power of food would prove impossible without the dedication of our passionate volunteers. The reason we say this so frequently is because it’s an undeniable truth. Volunteers drive nearly every facet of this organization. That fact became even more evident earlier this year, when our volunteers reached a massive milestone, surpassing 500,000 volunteer hours served. According to our math, that’s the equivalent of 13 additional staff members for the 19 years Second Helpings has been fighting hunger and poverty in Central Indiana. We’re so grateful for every person who comes through our doors to serve this mission. Thank you for your service. We can only #FeedIndy with your support, and we’re looking forward to sending another 1 million meals into this community with you in 2018.
Indy Food Drop and the battle against food waste
In April, NUVO celebrated the launch of Indy Food Drop, a new initiative aimed at reducing food waste within Indiana’s trucking industry launched in partnership with Indy Hunger Network members and Indiana Motor Truck Association, with a cover story highlighting the effort to reduce food waste. This initiative led to several large food donations throughout the year. We’re proud of the continued efforts we make alongside our Indy Hunger Network partners to reduce food waste in Central Indiana, and we are looking forward to expanding the reach of these efforts in the months and years ahead.
- Additional coverage:
- Indy Food Drop Initiative via WFYI’s No Limits
100th Class Completes Second Helpings training
In November, we celebrated a historic milestone: the graduation of Culinary Job Training class 100! It was wonderful to celebrate this milestone with a commencement ceremony hosted by our partners at United Way of Central Indiana, who are currently celebrating a historic 100th anniversary of their own. Former Indianapolis mayor Bart Peterson was on hand to offer remarks to the graduates. This class would have proven impossible without the campaign spearheaded by our generous volunteers, who spearheaded a fundraising campaign on behalf of the historic class. This milestone truly represented the community of people who make all of the incredible moments at Second Helpings possible. As we are now graduating a new class every month, we’re looking forward to transforming even more lives through the power of food as we move into 2018.
Highlighting food waste at Heartland Film Festival
Combatting food waste is central to Second Helpings’ mission to transform lives through the power of food. This fall, we partnered with our friends at Heartland Film Festival to shine a spotlight on the critical issue of food waste by bringing Anthony Bourdain’s new documentary WASTED! to festival audiences. As an organization founded by a trio of chefs, we loved the way Bourdain places chefs at the forefront of those leading the charge to reduce food waste globally. We even picked up a few new volunteers, who were so inspired by the film they chose to get involved in the fight against food waste in Central Indiana.
2017 CFO of the Year: Michael Eline
If you volunteer at Second Helpings, you know our Chief Financial Officer Mike Eline is always the first one in the door doing whatever it takes to ensure this organization sends 4,000 meals into Central Indiana each day. Whether he’s replacing a light bulb, repainting the board room, or overseeing the redesign of the Culinary Job Training kitchen, there is no task too large or too small for Mike. Thus, it came as no surprise when Indianapolis Business Journal chose Mike as its 2017 CFO of the year honoree. We’re so lucky to have such a dedicated individual who consistently goes above and beyond his job description in support of the mission to transform lives through the power of food.
New Faces!
If you volunteer or visit Second Helpings regularly, you have likely spotted a few new faces. Our staff has grown. See the full list of new 2017 hires below, and say hello next time you’re in the building!
- Felicia Grady, Culinary Job Training Instructor
- Kathy Jones, Director of Hunger Relief
- Anne King, Employment Specialist
- Ashleigh Porter, Kitchen Assistant
- Katie Prine, Senior Director of Philanthropy
- Alex Wallace, Driver & Hub Assistant
- James Washington, Kitchen Assistant
Thank You!
Thanks for being a part of these great accomplishments in 2017. Imagine what 2018 holds. You still have (a few) days left for a tax-deductible gift in 2017. Your support ensures more lives will be transformed through the power of food in the year ahead.