LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Food Finders Food Bank is in desperate need of volunteers. After September 30th all but six National Guard members will no longer be helping at the food bank.
Originally, the federal government was paying the National Guard to help food banks meet their increased demands due to COVID-19. Currently, the state of Indiana has been picking up the tab. However, after the majority of the National Guard is re-assigned the food bank is worried they will not be able to keep up with the continued demand.
What will happen is it will be a less pleasant experience for the people who need food if we do not have enough volunteers,” said President and CEO of Food Finders Food Bank Katy Bunder. “For example, the shelves will not be stocked as often."
Currently, members of the National Guard are packing boxes of food that can be handed out to people in need. This helps reduce contact from person to person. Volunteer shifts vary from the hours of 9:00 AM to 3 PM. Bunder says they do plan on adding some evening shifts in the future too. The food bank lost a lot of its volunteers once the pandemic hit.
“Most of our volunteers were retired people,” added Bunder. “ They dropped off immediately March 13th when everything shut down and people were told to shelter in place. That’s when we didn’t have any volunteers anymore.”
The food bank currently has around 30 National Guard members working at its facility. Food Finders serves around 300 families every day. The demand for people in need of food is up by 200 percent. Budner says they are opening up a new location on October 1st that will provide proper space for social distancing so volunteers are safer while helping out. If you are interested in volunteering at the food bank click here to learn more or call 765-471-0062.
