INDIANAPOLIS — A healthcare organization is helping thousands of Hoosiers right here in Marion County put food on the table.
And it’s not just your traditional canned goods — they offer fresh produce, dairy and meat options as well.
Jane Pauley Community Health Center has 10 food pantries across Central Indiana.
Patients can not only come visit the doctor and receive mental and physical healthcare, they can also get necessary grocery items if they're in need.
“Food insecurity is a big problem here in Marion County, alone. It’s estimated that 25 percent of our population is going without a meal a day because they can’t afford it or they live in what we call a food desert where there’s no grocery store for them to shop," CEO Marc Hackett said.
The majority of the 100,000 patients JPCHC serves are lower income and Medicaid users.
Enabling Services Manager Nancy Curd says worrying about if they’ll have a meal to eat should be the last thing on a patient’s mind.
“About two years ago when I was in my office I had overheard a patient telling a provider that she needed to hurry up and get her appointment over because she needed to get on the bus to get to the food pantry before it closed. It just broke my heart when I heard that," Curd said.
JPCHC opened its first three food pantry locations in October 2022.
It’s made possible through the support of partnerships with Second Harvest, Gleaner’s and Second Helpings; and health department licensing.
Since opening, Curd estimates the pantries have helped roughly 5,500 Hoosiers, about 1,700 are children.
“It’s like, I don’t know what I ever did without them," Patient Tammy said. “You’re not made to feel less than. You’re not made to feel ashamed that why you don’t have the money, or why don’t you have the food or why can’t you prepare.”
The pantries cost about $300 per week per clinic to operate.
That adds up to about $156,000 across all locations over the year.
The food pantries are open to any JPCHC patient who has been seen within the past year.
They can visit up to once per week for items, as available and as needed.
“Anyone can come in. If they have a need for food, they can come in. Some people just take a bag of food, some people take one item," Curd said.
The Post Road location is open three days a week.
Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
JPCHC plans to expand their pantry services in the future.
The organization is opening its first pharmacy on January 15 at its 16th Street site right next to Community Hospital East.
It’ll be open to patients and the public, as well.
