Second Harvest says mobile pantry at community gardens discontinued as agency shifts to partner agencies

Andy Irick, executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank for Clark, Champaign and Logan counties, told the City of New Carlisle council on March 3 that the food bank has discontinued its regular mobile pantry at the community gardens as part of a deliberate change in operations to support its 60 partner agencies. "We took that action as part of an overall plan to reduce our direct service and put more focus on our 60 partner agencies and helping them to feed neighbors in the communities," Irick said.

The decision followed a period during the COVID-19 pandemic when the food bank was providing a disproportionate share of direct distributions, Irick said. He told council the mobile pantry at the community gardens served an average of about 50 people per distribution during the period he reviewed and that his data showed a high of 74 during the sample window. "We serve on average about 50 people at community gardens in the pantry," Irick said.

Council members and residents said they observed larger lines and expressed concern about access for people who rely on the drive-through format or who cannot attend partner pantries during limited hours. Council discussion noted Bethel Church’s pantry on Pike Street, which Irick said serves between about 400 and 500 people on busier days according to PantryTrack records. Several speakers suggested increasing partner agency hours or adding a temporary truck during higher-demand months; Irick said Second Harvest is open to dialogue and possible pop-up distributions.

Irick described factors that informed the agency’s decision, including equity across the food bank’s three-county service area and cuts to federal programs that supply food. He said a federal program that subsidized local farmers will end in June and that the loss will reduce the food bank’s inflow (he described the contract value as roughly $450,000 per year for food to the three-county area, and said that he estimates pounds using an internal price-per-pound conversion). He also said donations from manufacturers and retailers and from USDA/TFAP and Ohio Food Producers are important to the food bank’s supply chain.

Irick said his organization is implementing a new process to map gaps in service by census tract and that the food bank will consider pop-up distributions, possible temporary returns to communities where need is demonstrated, and conversations with partner agencies. He offered to follow up with city officials and the local pantry contact to review the data and explore options.

Council members asked for specifics on eligibility and intake. Irick said clients self-attest to meet income guidelines in PantryTrack and that the program typically uses federal poverty guidelines (he said the operating threshold is a percentage above the poverty level but did not provide a single dollar figure at the meeting and offered to follow up with exact numbers).

The exchange concluded with officials and Irick agreeing to continue the conversation; Irick left his business cards and invited residents or pantry volunteers to contact him or his member engagement specialist, Austin Wilson, to discuss opening new partner sites or adjusting hours.

The council did not take a formal vote on this item; Irick’s appearance was listed under communications as an informational presentation.