Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Full Report | Page 131

CHAPTER 4 Indianapolis, Indiana: Hoosier Pie The Indianapolis story illustrates how local leaders are working to build a broader coalition of stakeholders fighting hunger in their communities by raising public awareness—not only of the problem, but also the solutions. People who fight hunger at the local level have a gut feeling that the United States would be a hungry country indeed without SNAP and other nutrition programs. In Indianapolis, Dave Miner, chair of the Indy Hunger Network (IHN) and former Indianapolis board chair of Bread for the World, wanted something more than a gut feeling when he talked with people in the community. His wife Robin collected information on all the major sources of food assistance in Indianapolis. Data were readily accessible. Federal nutrition program data were available from the state agencies that administer them. Figuring out the rest required some phone calls and emails to private charities, but this didn’t prove difficult either. By crunching the numbers, the Miners discovered that federal nutrition programs accounted for more than 90 percent of the food assistance in Indianapolis in 2012. SNAP’s contribution alone was 73 percent. The largest contributor on the private sector side was Gleaners, the Indianapolis area food bank that is the face of hunger relief for many Indy residents. Gleaners represented 4 percent. See Figure 4.2. Robin developed a simple pie chart so that anyone can visualize where Indianapolis’ food assistance comes from. When they show it to the people they hope will support IHN’s work, most of them are taken aback by the size of the federal government’s contribution. A typical reaction is, “Does it look like this everywhere?” In fact, it does. IndiaFigure 4.2 Sources of Food Assistance, Indianapolis (2012) napolis is not an anomaly when it comes to the amount of work the Gleaners (Non-USDA) federal nutrition programs are 1% - CICOA, St. Vincent DePaul, 4% doing to end hunger. Meals On Wheels WIC 1% - Second Helpings When people think about food 5% assistance in their community, 1% - Gleaners (USDA) School/ the pictures that come to mind 1% - Midwest Food Bank Summer are neighbors providing food to 11% 2% - Assumed Community Response neighbors, children collecting SNAP 4% - Gleaners (Non-USDA) canned goods for a food drive at 73% 5% - WIC (USDA) their school, the food pantry in a church basement, a soup kitchen 11% - School/Summer (USDA) for homeless people. A government 73% - SNAP (USDA) program does not seem the same as a neighbor, and media visibility for SNAP is mostly congressional rhetoric. Another reason SNAP is Source: Indy Hunger Network (2013). not recognized as the vital program Indiana Oregon www.bread.org/institute? ? 2014 Hunger Report? 121 n