“We are thrilled to introduce this modern, convenient system designed to support our neighbors facing food insecurity,” said Jennifer Brunner, SHFB development director. “As a grant-funded program, we are happy for the opportunity to shine a light on the impactful hunger-relief initiatives backed by Feeding America and US Foods.”
The system will include 16 individual, climate-controlled lockers, which can be remotely configured from frozen to heated temperatures, Brunner said. The locker unit will be placed in the food bank’s alley for easy access to drive up and receive orders. It’s anticipated to be installed, up and running by the end of the year.
Need for the food bank has increased since COVID-19, Brunner said. In 2023, they served 32% more people than in 2022 and 35% more than in 2021.
“We attribute the increase to several factors. COVID-era benefits have disappeared, (such as emergency SNAP supplemental benefits), the price of food has drastically increased, and the price of rent and basic necessities has also increased,” said said. “Often times when people have to choose where to make cuts to their budgets, it is their food budget that gets cut first.”
Last year in 2023, 36% of the people the food bank served had never before used their services. The SHFB has late service hours (until 6 or 6:30 p.m.) four nights a week “because we know that families working traditional business hours need our support.”
“That is another reason why this food locker program is so exciting. We will be able to provide convenience for families/individuals who may need the flexibility to pick up food at 10 p.m. or 4 a.m. ... it truly offers convenience. Plus, this expands our choice programs, as neighbors can choose which food items they would like to pick up,” Brunner said.
Credit: Michael Moenning/Northlight Studio, Inc.
Credit: Michael Moenning/Northlight Studio, Inc.
In honor of Hunger Action Month, US Foods, one of America’s largest foodservice distributors, donated $750,000 to expand the partnership with Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the U.S. This donation is US Foods’ largest single monetary donation to date.
As part of US Foods’ recently enhanced “Helping Communities Make It” hunger-relief programming, the company will grant Feeding America the funds to expand the locker project into seven additional communities, including Springfield, by the end of 2024.
“With more than 44 million Americans, including 13 million children, facing food insecurity in the U.S., we are honored to support Feeding America in their journey to bring innovative solutions for combating food insecurity to communities across the country,” said Dave Flitman, US Foods CEO.
This project launched at the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. The six others that will receive funds other than Springfield are in Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma, South Carolina and two in Florida.
For the new locker program, community members can place their orders online through the existing OrderAhead system through the following steps:
- People place an order online or via the retailer’s app.
- Once an order is fulfilled and placed inside the locker, the person is notified via text or email with a unique pickup code.
- The person scans their code at the console and the locker opens instantly with their order.
For more information, visit www.theshfb.org and www.usfoods.com/community.
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