An initiative to get refrigerated food to residents who need it most has landed in South Lake County courtesy of the Lake County Health Department.
The Lake County Community Food Locker, a partnership with the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, soft-launched about two weeks ago and has already made a difference, said Michelle Arnold, Lake County Health Department deputy administrator and Health First program manager.
The department, along with Food Bank administrators and other dignitaries, held an official ribbon-cutting in front of the locker Friday afternoon.
The locker itself works exactly like an Amazon or UPS package locker. Clients first sign up for the program at its website, then when they get approved, they set up an account, and the Food Bank sends them a link to place their order, Arnold said.
After the client orders, they’ll get an order number and QR code, Arnold said, and once they receive it, they have 21 hours to come pick up their order from one of the lockers. The lockers are set up to handle refrigerated and frozen foods, she said.
More Top Picks How To Advocate For Irlen Accommodations At School
Clients can come at any time during those 21 hours; they can also send a proxy to pick up the order, added Julie Anderson, emerging technologies coordinator for the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. Whoever does the pick-up, they’ll be safe because the locker is lit up and has cameras for safety, she said.
“Our goal was to make (the locker) accessible to everyone. It’s for people who have transportation issues or maybe can’t get off work when there’s a mobile market,” Anderson said. “More importantly, we want to treat everyone with dignity and respect. People can come and use it, and feel good about getting their stuff.”
The food locker is an exciting addition to the Health Department because it makes healthy living more accessible, Lake County Health Officer Chandana Vavilala said. After all, good nutrition is “the basic building block of good health.”
“The food locker does more than nourish good health,” she added. “It brings families together, it brings neighbors closer and it strengthens social connections. It’s an investment in healthier neighborhoods.”
Shonda Dixon, the food bank’s community impact director, called the locker a “game changer” in talking about food insecurity.
“There’s no lines, and there’s no stress,” she said. “No community member has to choose between work, transportation or getting food.”
U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, pointed out that the current administration has pulled $1 billion from food banks across the nation. The food locker, then, stands as a monument to resilience.
“If you’ve ever held the hand of a working mother or talked to a father who says to you, ‘I never expected to be in this situation,’ you know what resilience looks like,” Mrvan said. “I’ve fought side-by-side with (people working with food banks), and I’m honored to be in your presence.”
The Lake County Health Department food locker is the first one in South Lake County, Arnold said, with the others in East Chicago, Gary, South Haven in Porter County and Merrillville at the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana itself.
The Health Department locker, which cost $80,000, was paid for by Health First funds, Arnold said.
Those interested in signing up for the food locker program should log on to orderahead.org and fill out the application, Arnold said.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.