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Second Harvest food truck stops visiting New Carlisle; council to investigate local pantry options
Summary
City residents told council the Second Harvest food truck no longer serves the New Carlisle Community Garden; council members said they will follow up and explore alternatives, citing local food access concerns and high poverty figures.
At the City of New Carlisle council meeting, a speaker reported that the Second Harvest food truck has stopped servicing the New Carlisle Community Garden and said alternative food distribution is now at a pantry located at Bethel Churches United, 226 South Pike Street.
The speaker gave days and hours for the pantry: Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. and Fridays from noon to 2:00 p.m., and said donations are accepted. Several council members and other speakers described the loss of the truck as a significant service disruption: they reported lines of as many as 100 cars when the truck visited and said the city has a high poverty rate based on a 2022 estimate they referenced.
Council members said they would investigate why the Second Harvest stops deliveries to New Carlisle and identify alternative food assistance options. One council member said they would make calls and follow up with the council at the next meeting.
Local context and implications
Meeting participants said the Second Harvest truck’s departure raises immediate concerns about local food access. Meeting remarks noted that New Carlisle has limited grocery options (the local IGA was described as expensive) and that existing small pantries in town are not large enough to serve the number of families that used the truck. The speaker urged council to look for replacement services or partners and to notify residents of pantry locations and hours.
No formal motion or vote on the issue was recorded at the meeting; council members requested staff follow-up and offered to check regional pantry options and delivery policies.
