Southern Indiana Living MayJune 2012

Though Dare to Care is a Louisville based organization, their
reach in Southern Indiana is immense, covering a 13-county
service area that includes eight in Kentucky and five in Southern
Indiana.
“This year we will distribute 16.3 million pounds of food,”
Riendeau said. “That equates to about 14.5 million meals dispensed
into the community.”
That’s up from about 12 million pounds of food three years
ago, as the organization has been growing dramatically in the
last few years trying to stay ahead of the expanding need. In the
Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison and Washington alone, about
2.5 million pounds of food is currently distributed annually.
The organization currently has 69 agency partners and is
looking for more to help reach those in need. Partnering agencies
are a critical part of food distribution. When someone
comes to Dare to Care seeking food assistance, they try to connect
them with an agency near them, as the agency can often
provide other services as well.
To ensure the needs are being met, Dare to Care did a study
to take a closer look at the number of people hungry and where
they are located.
In the last 12 months, Dare to Care has assisted 192,000 individuals.
That’s a 68 percent increase over the last four years.
The biggest driver behind the need for food assistance right
now is employment. In addition, Dare to Care has other programs
to assist with hunger, such as Kid’s Café, a safe place
to go after school, where kids can receive tutoring and a hot
meal five nights a week. Another program, Back Pack Buddies,
addresses weekend hunger by providing a backpack full of
nutritious, kid friendly food items to sustain kids through the
weekend.
One of Dare to Care’s biggest
challenges now is dealing with
perishables like fruit, meat and
other chilled products. Of the 16
million pounds of food Dare to
Care distributes, about 4.5 million
is fresh fruits and vegetables
that have to go out to the community
very quickly.
There also is a mobile pantry
for areas where there may not
be an agency. At least two trucks
full of food, produce, boxes and
tables are sent out daily to distribute
food on location.
In addition, raising awareness is
critical in this fight against hunger.
“It’s one of those issues that
remains largely invisible,” Riendeau
said. “The sad part is that
people don’t understand the
magnitude of problem.”
Food, dollars and volunteer
time are critical to this organization,
and there are numerous
ways to help. For more information,
call 502-966-3821, or visit
www.daretocare.org. •
“Supporting our Community Since 1954”
812-738-2249
1991 Hwy. 337 NW, Corydon, IN 47112
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silivingmag.com • 31