Written by Sunni Matters, in collaboration with Feeding America’s Sparks of Innovation program.
The Challenge
At Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana, the focus is on adapting and moving forward, as addressing hunger requires resilience, creativity, and collaboration. During a time when there was an abundance of funding and products but not enough people to help with distribution, Second Harvest embraced an opportunity to collaborate with community partners. Leaders of neighborhood associations, local churches, the community college, and other passionate volunteers offered to help the food bank support neighbors in need.
The Solution
The concept of a neighborhood van distribution program emerged when a local car dealership generously lent two vans to the Second Harvest. Recognizing that these vans could serve neighborhoods with limited access to nutritious food, the food bank developed a neighborhood van program. Local volunteers identified areas within the community that could benefit from this service, scheduled a visit to the warehouse, and picked up a van loaded with food to distribute in the community. These distributions helped ensure that food, which might otherwise spoil while waiting in transit or storage, got to those who needed it most, while also allowing the food bank to reach food deserts in the community.
The vans were small enough that any volunteer with a valid driverโs license and proof of insurance could safely drive resources to various vetted locations including parking lots, neighborhood streets, and sometimes directly to a neighborโs front door. Traditionally, volunteers park the van, and people would come out to the street to collect the food. These vans served families who arrived on foot, by car, on bikes, or even riding lawnmowers.
After about one year, in response to ongoing community feedback and distribution experiences, Second Harvest decided to purchase the pair of Freightliner Sprinter Vans and continue partnering with local organizations for distribution. By this time, the food bank had established reliable and consistent partnerships within the community and had standardized procedures for using the neighborhood vans, which are summarized in their flyer:ย Three hours. Five volunteers. Safe distribution.
The food bank offers two time slots each day for community partners to reserve and check out a van during a two-hour window. Drivers are required to provide a valid driverโs license and proof of car insurance. Once at the warehouse, they pick up a van that has been preloaded with food that is ready for distribution. They drive the van to a predetermined location that has specifically been chosen to reach select neighbors. After distributing the food and produce but before returning to the warehouse, volunteers often provide a home delivery service to individuals with special needs who cannot travel far from their place of residence.
The Community Engagement & Partnerships Manager oversees the neighborhood van distribution program and maintains relationships with community partners. When bringing on new partners, they review a standard agreement to ensure that all volunteers understand the best practices for serving neighbors. They also visit the distribution locations in advance to ensure safety (i.e. not on busy street corners) and often engage with the community during distribution. Second Harvest relies on these community partnerships to continue providing resources with consistency and certainty.
The Result
Although Second Harvest serves eight counties, only one county currently has access to the Sprinter vans. Due to travel time and food safety guidelines, this is the most viable reach at present. Two vans are sufficient for the time being, but there may be potential for expansion as the food bank evaluates its capacity in the upcoming year.
Community partners often learn about the opportunity to set up a Neighborhood Van Distribution program in their neighborhood through word-of-mouth. However, to further increase awareness, the food bank also posts information on its website, wraps the vans in food bank logos, and distributes flyers during public community events. By modifying their existing structure, the food bank has been able to reach neighbors who might otherwise have been left out.

Innovations like these are made possible thanks to community collaboration. Do you want to be part of the conversation as we find new ways to cure hunger? Join us for a showing of the new documentary Food, Insecure to better understand hunger and food insecurity, discover real solutions, and work together to create a more equitable and food-secure Indiana.