Mother Loves Garden is an urban education garden at 1114 W. 33rd St. on the near northwest side, and was created in 2013 with a mission to improve the neighborhood’s quality of life through volunteering and education.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Halloween is right around the corner, which means children will soon be knocking on doors shouting “trick-or-treat.” But while many are eager to indulge in their candy haul, consideration should be made for children with food allergies.During Tuesday’s Daybreak, I talked with with April Kleber, a registered dietitian with Community Health Network, to discuss the importance of choosing allergy-friendly treats this season.

As more families become aware of food allergies, the Teal Pumpkin Project—a movement to offer non-food treats for trick-or-treaters—continues to gain popularity. This simple step helps ensure that every child can take part in the Halloween fun without the worry.

For more advice on creating an allergy-friendly Halloween, catch the full interview with April or click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The United Nations celebrated World Food Day on Wednesday. The day marks the anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. The FAO Recognizes World Food Day on Oct. 16.

Every year, the agency uses the day to promote food literacy, which is at the center of its mission.

Organizers challenge people to get involved in October for World Food Day by combating food insecurity in their communities.

Many charities are always seeking volunteers or donations across the state. Below is a short list of the many groups that work to fight hunger in Central Indiana.

Central Indiana Food Charities

• Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana
• Meals on Wheels
• Midwest Food Bank
• Mozel Sanders Foundation
• Pack Away Hunger
• Patachou Foundation
• Second Helpings
• St. Vincent de Paul

While food banks focus on having ingredients and materials for meals all in one place, other nonprofits, like Pack Away Hunger, help to prepare food for those who need it.

The group prepares dehydrated food packs that contain enough rice, soybeans and vegetables to feed six people.

About half the meals prepared by volunteers stay in central Indiana, and the other half goes to communities in need across the globe.

Pack Away Hunger is hosting a virtual informational session about their efforts over Zoom on Thursday at 5 p.m. Click here to join the call.

For more about World Food Day visit the FAO website.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pack Away Hunger is a nonprofit working tirelessly to address hunger locally and globally.

Since 2010, they’ve packed and distributed over 23 million meals, helping to fight hunger in Central Indiana and beyond.

Nick and Angela from Pack Away Hunger joined us to talk about their mission and how they make it happen.

Pack Away Hunger’s mission is simple but crucial — to ensure that no one goes hungry.

Their meal-packing process is driven almost entirely by volunteers. Each meal pack contains rice, textured vegetable protein, dehydrated vegetables, and a specially formulated vitamin packet. These meal kits provide essential nutrition, particularly for young children, supporting their development during the critical first 1,000 days of life.

With a staff of just three, Pack Away Hunger depends on their nearly 7,000 volunteers each year, from individuals to community groups, to help prepare the meals they ship out.

Most recently, the organization sent over 800,000 meals to Ukraine in support of the ongoing crisis.

Hunger isn’t just a distant issue — it’s also happening right here in central Indiana.

In Marion County, 14% of residents are food insecure.

Volunteering for just an hour or two with Pack Away Hunger can help make a real difference, providing nutritious meals to those who need them most.

If you’re interested in volunteering or partnering with Pack Away Hunger, they’re always looking for more help. Visit their website for more information and find out how you can be part of this meaningful cause. Together, we can help alleviate hunger, one meal at a time.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Indiana Pacers and its teammates across the community are amping up an effort to take on food insecurity.

The program has a basketball theme -- with a nutritional payoff -- it's called 'Drive and Dish'.

Gleaners Food Bank -- Pacers Sports and Entertainment -- the Pacers Foundation -- and the city's parks department are all part of it.

It launched at the start of the year - bringing boxes of food to families in need.

The new goals -- 16-thousand boxes this year -- and 33,000 next year.

Organizers say they want to expand the effort to other cities in the years to come.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month approaches in October, it’s essential to empower women with knowledge and tools to manage their health. Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women, highlighting the need for proactive measures in diagnosis and treatment.

To explore effective strategies, Dr. Tarah Ballinger, a breast oncologist at IU Health Simon Cancer Center talked with News 8. Ballinger emphasized the significant roles that diet and exercise play in reducing recurrence rates for breast cancer patients.

Weight gain is a common concern following a breast cancer diagnosis, according to Ballinger.

When it comes to exercise, Ballinger advocated for a balanced approach.

Diet also plays a vital role in recovery and long-term health, says Dr. Ballinger.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

HATCH was founded in 2015 with the mission to build a nutrition secure future for families by delivering animal protein direct from farmers to food banks with the lowest cost to serve model in the fight against hunger. HATCH has become a national leader in nutrition security and partners with farmers to supply low-cost, high-value animal proteins to 100+ food banks annually across 36 states. Today we deliver 250,000 meals daily and by 2027 we will achieve 1M protein-rich meals delivered daily.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The nonprofit Mozel Sanders Foundation has made sure no one in Indianapolis goes hungry on Thanksgiving for over half of a century.The foundation typically uses a large kitchen to prepare the thousands of Thanksgiving meals it distributes; however, this year, that kitchen at Butler University is no longer available.

Stephan Sanders, CEO of the foundation, said, “Due to risk management and new procedures at Butler, we’re going to be in need of commercial kitchens, like schools, hospitals, any place that can mass produce meals. We’re going to need them this year.”

This year marks 51 years that the foundation will feed the hungry for the holiday.

Sanders said, “On the menu this year, we have green beans, dressing, turkey or chicken, and we have a dinner roll. We are working on the dessert.”

In 2023, 1,500 volunteers served over 10,000 hot meals on Thanksgiving. The foundation will again in 2024 need an army of helpers to prepare, package and deliver the meals.

“Restaurants schools, churches, hospitals, please reach out to use if you’re able to cook or serve 10,000 meals,” Sanders said.

For people who can’t physically help on Thanksgiving, Sanders says, the foundation offers another way for people to give back Sanders said that $20 feeds four people, and one meal is $5, “so if you’re unable to volunteer, please go to our website and donate.”

As Sanders sees it, the Thanksgiving effort not just about feeding the hungry; it’s also about keeping the tradition of love and service in the community alive.

“We were just raised to help people, never think we’re better than someone, and you should never look down on someone unless you’re trying to pick them up.”

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.