Building Community 2020 & 2021 Partner – Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana
Each year our employees come together to amplify the impact of a nonprofit partner, improving lives and building community.
A heartfelt thank you to the employees, vendors, partners, and clients who have already joined the Browning Hunger Heroes team. Together we raised $35,000 over the 2020 and 2021 holiday seasons for Gleaners.
We are passionate about Gleaners’ vision of “Food for every table. Hope for every future.” Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana is the largest hunger relief leader in the state, serving one-third of the one million Hoosiers vulnerable to food insecurity. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were more than 1 million food insecure Hoosiers. That number is dramatically higher now as a result of the pandemic. According to Feeding America, the current food insecurity rate in Indiana is 20%, up from 13.3% before the pandemic.
Committed to help Gleaners lead the fight against hunger across 21 counties in Indiana, Browning held a virtual food drive in 2020. The company started the drive with a donation of $10,000 in recognition of our gratitude for our wonderful partners and clients with whom we’ve had the opportunity to build community. Our employees raised another $9,414.34. When we invited our partners to join us they donated another $1,753.70.
2021 has been another hard year for families and with the rising cost of food, even more Hoosiers are struggling to provide food for their families. (In 2021, Gleaners distributed a record 82.5 million meals to our neighbors.) As such, we have decided to continue our partnership with Gleaners into 2021 with another $10,000 donation and offering our employees an extra half day of PTO to volunteer at Gleaners this year.
(Please note several of the photos were taken pre-pandemic and as such, do not reflect masking and social distancing protocols.)
Why Gleaners?
Browning is constantly involved in development and construction around the region, but beyond our projects we are committed to supporting and strengthening the communities where we live and work.
Browning and Gleaners have been breaking new ground together for decades.
As Gleaners has grown since its inception in 1980, Browning has lent its development and construction expertise so that they could focus on what they do best – leading the fight against hunger.
From searching for a new location in the 90’s, to helping purchase a new facility, building out additional freezer space, or most recently, constructing the Cynthia H. Hubert Community Cupboard, we are honored to have worked with Gleaners as they have expanded their reach and optimized their efficiency.
Our employees are committed to feeding their neighbors.
Over the years our company has staffed mobile pantries, processed Kroger reclamation, and packed Thanksgiving boxes. Our employees have also frequently volunteered with their families and community groups and our marketing director, Erin Drake, is on the board.
Gleaners is more than a food bank.
They Feed
Gleaners has distributed more than half a billion pounds of food and critical grocery products through more than 585 hunger relief agencies, schools, and community partners serving Hoosier in need, including our most vulnerable populations via specialty programs such as School-Based Pantries, Mobile Pantries, Summer Meals for Kids, and Senior Hunger Initiative.
They Nourish
Hunger and health are deeply connected, and Gleaners believes that all families deserve healthy food options. As a result, Gleaners focuses on ensuring that fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, low fat dairy and non-perishable meal-making items are included every week. into a sustainable diet for the whole family; their partnerships promote community health through improved access to affordable health care.
They Empower
The best cure for hunger is a good paycheck that allows families to meet their financial obligations, including food. Gleaners partners with organizations like the Indianapolis Public Safety Departments, Ivy Tech, Goodwill, and WorkOne on collaborative engagement programs. Working with these organizations helps Gleaners address hunger in key “intersections” of crime, lack of educational achievement, unemployment, and feelings of isolation.
To learn more about all the ways Gleaners is closing the meal gap, visit www.gleaners.org
