As an organization that works with partners all across our community, the recent spike in inflation impacts Second Helpings and the fight to end hunger in unique ways. 

It is well-documented that inflation has a disproportionate impact on the lowest income earners. As food and gas prices rise, the effects of inflation are felt most acutely by those who were already struggling to make ends meet – to stretch their paycheck and benefits to cover food, health care, and utilities for their families, to fill their gas tank to make it to a job interview. All of those responsibilities were already a challenge for the individuals and families Second Helpings’ partner agencies serve. Inflation makes them even more challenging. 

In addition, Emergency SNAP benefits ended in May for Hoosiers, meaning that people will receive less in food assistance than they did for the last two years.  

If you or someone you know needs food assistance, you can call 211 or use Indy Hunger Network’s Community Compass app to find food resources near you. 

Here at Second Helpings, inflation has an impact across our mission. Volunteers and staff drove 125,000 miles last year to rescue food and deliver meals. As gas prices increase, so too can the cost of doing business for Second Helpings. 

Rising food prices can also impact Second Helpings’ Hunger Relief efforts.  

If restaurants and grocery stores order less food to cut their costs, then they have fewer items to potentially donate. On the other hand, if people buy fewer items because the cost has increased, that may lead to more food being donated to Second Helpings from some sources. 

Therefore, one of the earliest impacts of inflation on Second Helpings’ mission is that it creates uncertainty for our team as we plan our programs. Not knowing how much, or what kind of, food will be donated, or how much food spending to budget for, complicates our work. 

Just like rising and changing costs make it more difficult to budget at home, planning for an organization with a fleet of vans, preparing 4,000 meals a day, is complicated by rising gas prices and supply chain delays. 

While inflation complicates the work, Second Helpings has not made any programmatic changes besides combining a few trips. The food that needs to be rescued is still being picked up, and needed meals are still being delivered to our partner agencies. 

So how can you help? Sign up to volunteer. Invite a friend to join you. The more hands we have to pitch in, the more efficiently we can rescue food and prepare meals. We have the most availability for Sandwich Maker and Grab-and-Go Team shifts. 

Want to donate items for our kitchen? Check out our wish list for the most-needed items. 

Thank you for your continued support of Second Helpings. Together we continue to feed Indy.