500 Pounds of Food Donated to Second Helpings

All state agencies were invited to participate in an event called “CANstruction” that was held mid-January. Participating teams of state employees-built structures of their choice entirely from cans of donated food that were collected at their site.  Participating agencies included four teams from the Indiana Department of Correction.

RDC received over 500 pounds of food that was able to be donated to Second Helpings to assist in their efforts of addressing hunger and poverty in Central Indiana. Each day, Second Helpings volunteers and staff rescue prepared and perishable food from wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants – preventing unnecessary waste. That rescued food is used to create more than 4,500 nutritious meals each day that are distributed to more than 90 social service agencies that feed Hoosiers in need.

Using that same rescued food, Second Helpings Culinary Job Training program prepares adults with barriers to employment for careers in the food service industry. This helps eliminate hunger and poverty at its source. More than 900 adults have graduated from this program. Second Helpings alumni are working in Central Indiana as cooks, executive chefs, business owners and culinary instructors.

Warden Gardner stated, “It is exciting to see the impact we can make on the community, as well as the positive impact with the individuals in the Second Helpings program.”