By Bekah Clawson, President & CEO
As we close out February and step into March, the message behind National Canned Food Month still resonates: hunger is a year-round reality in East Central Indiana. But hunger doesn’t take a season off.
Right now, families across our community are making impossible choices—whether to buy groceries or pay rent, keep the heat on or fill a prescription. These are not abstract dilemmas. They are daily realities for thousands of our neighbors, including seniors on fixed incomes, working parents, and children who rely on school meals.
That’s why giving to Second Harvest Food Bank or your local Food Pantry is especially important this time of year. After the holidays, donations naturally slow down, even as need remains steady. Monetary gifts allow us to purchase food in bulk and stretch every dollar further, but food drives also play a vital role in our work.
Food drives engage the community in a hands‑on way. They raise awareness about hunger, spark conversations, and help fill critical gaps in our inventory. Some of our most needed items are shelf‑stable staples—canned proteins, vegetables, and fruit, as well as peanut butter, beans, and soups. These foods are nutritious, versatile, and easy for families to store and prepare.
As we head into March, we encourage workplaces, civic groups, faith communities, and neighbors to consider hosting a canned food drive or simply adding a few extra items to your grocery cart. If you’d like to learn how to organize a drive, visit our Food Donation page.
National Canned Food Month is a reminder that small acts add up. A couple of cans from your pantry may not seem like much, but together they become meals for a family right here in East Central Indiana. When our community steps forward—one can, one box, one act of generosity at a time—we ensure that no neighbor must face hunger alone.