INDIANAPOLIS — Rich Hoerger has been the Storehouse Food Pantry manager for 13 years.
"This pantry started about two double oh five with just serving three or four people and in a closet," Hoerger said.
Now, Hoerger said they serve more than 600 people a month.
"Last year, we served 5,826 families out of this pantry," Hoerger said
A demand that is challenging to meet.
"As you know, when you go to the grocery, food, prices are just staggering anymore, and it's constantly trying to come up with enough money to buy that food and to be able to satisfy our clients with a decent box of food," Hoerger said.
A challenge that only drives Rich's motivation.
"Rich stays until the last person is fed. It doesn't matter if there's not a scrap of food in the pantry. He finds a way to make sure that no one leaves hungry," Reverend Kyle Hunter, senior minister at Speedway Christian Church said.
Qualities that put Rich on our radar. He was nominated by pastor Arthur Vermillion, who passed away in November.
"One of the last emails that I received from the late pastor Art Vermillion was just a simple email saying, 'Hey, do you think Rich would appreciate this acknowledgment?'," Hunter said.
Pastor Art's last gift to the Storehouse Food Pantry.
WRTV’s Amber Grigley told Rich she wanted to interview him about the need for community food pantries. Instead, he was presented a medal for the prestigious Jefferson Award for Multiplying Good.
"Oh my. recipient for the Jefferson Award for multiplying good we want to say thank you for all the hard work and effort you put into this community,” said Hoerger. "Art was big in supporting the pantry. Every time I would send out results, he would always write back to me and tell me, you know what, what great work we're doing for the pantry. "Thank you very, very much.”
The Storehouse Food Pantry needs donations. Whether it's monetary or through volunteering.
