Second Harvest Food Bank
50-Year Anniversary | Community Partner Spotlight
This month's 50th anniversary partner feature is Second Harvest Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organization in East Central Indiana. Second Harvest distributes food, diapers, hygiene products, and other resources to meet the immediate needs of individuals and families in Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, and Wabash counties. They also help people address the deeper challenges of food insecurity and generational poverty by providing assistance and educational programs.
Second Harvest and Open Door regularly work together to care for East Central Indiana residents and reduce resource barriers. Over the years, Second Harvest has provided diapers to stock Open Door’s Diaper Bank for families who need them. With their help, Open Door’s community health workers distributed 496 bags of diapers in 2023.
The two organizations also partnered to provide easier access to flu shots during the pandemic. In fall 2020, while people waited in their cars for food at a Second Harvest tailgate event, Open Door clinical staff went car to car to offer free flu shots onsite.
This relationship has expanded from one-time events to more regular collaboration, particularly through Second Harvest’s Big Idea school events. These events are held each month at East Central Indiana schools to make it easier for families to access food and other resources from support agencies. Currently, 44 Big Idea events take place every month. Open Door has become a regular participant in Delaware, Madison, and Blackford Counties, offering education, health screenings, assistance with health insurance enrollment, and often vaccines.
Blood pressure screenings at the South View Elementary Big Idea
“Big Idea events are really valuable to our community health workers, insurance navigators, and clinical staff,” said Courtney Bishop, Open Door Community Engagement Manager. “We get the chance to connect with residents in their own neighborhood, increase their familiarity with Open Door, and offer quality services in a space that’s convenient for them.”
Later this year, Open Door and Second Harvest will co-present on the topic of neighborhood engagement at the 2024 Indiana School Health Network conference. The two organizations will share about two neighborhood-based programs – Open Door Connections and Second Harvest’s Big Idea initiative – including the successes and challenges of building trust between families and service agencies, as well as ways to streamline families’ access to social support.
Flu shots at the Second Harvest tailgate
"As we celebrate Open Door Health Services' 50th anniversary, it's clear that our partnership has been instrumental in not just addressing immediate needs but also in forging paths toward long-term community well-being,” said Bekah Clawson, Second Harvest’s president and CEO. “Open Door’s dedication to the community complements our mission perfectly, making every collaborative effort a step forward in our joint battle against hunger and health insecurities."
We are grateful to work alongside Second Harvest to help create bright lives and futures for people who live in East Central Indiana.
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of Open Door Health Services operating in East Central Indiana! While caring for community members under different names during that time, the organization has seen a rich history of patient-focused care and intentional relationship-building with community partners.
To help celebrate this history of partnership, each month we'll be featuring the story of Open Door's partnership with an area organization. Thank you to our partners for helping us celebrate the impact we make TOGETHER on quality of life.