Historic Meridian Park has a new neighbor! The Mid-North Food Pantry, Inc. (MNFP) has moved to the Trinity Outreach Center at 3333 North Meridian Street. The building, once home to a mental health clinic, has been refurbished to accommodate several non-profit organizations.
The MNFP is the second-largest food pantry in the metropolitan Indianapolis area. According to MNFP Board President Karen McCune, this new location provides easy access to bus routes so clients can reach it easily. There’s also plenty of free off-street parking for those who drive. The new home provides more space for all operations and the opportunity to offer clients a “shopping” experience when selecting food and other items.
The mission of the MNFP is “to enhance the health of our mid-north neighborhoods by providing supplemental food and basic necessities to our neighbors in need.” Its service area extends from 22nd Street on the south, 52nd Street on the north, Boulevard Place on the west, and Andrew J. Brown Boulevard on the east. It currently serves more than 2000 individuals – that’s more than 500 families – each month. These figures represent a significant increase over previous years. According to LaTasha Mobley, pantry manager, there’s every indication that this trend will continue. MNFP operates on a shoe-string budget so the bulk of its funding can be channeled into providing food for neighbors in need. Mobley, as pantry manager, is the only paid employee. An all-volunteer staff carries out many pantry operations.
Formerly located at 3421 N. Park Avenue (on the east side of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church), the pantry had several homes over the years. The first was a closet at Broadway United Methodist Church, followed by a brief sojourn at Our Redeemer (where the Family Drop-In Center is now). Next, the pantry was situated in the basement of the original building that’s now part of Raphael Health Clinic for several years. It moved back to Our Redeemer in 2000 and remained there until August 1, 2009 when the move to 3333 N. Meridian was complete.
The Mid-North Food Pantry had its beginnings in the 1970s with the formation of the Mid-North Church Council, then called simply the Tri-Church Council. As the membership of the Council increased and the name changed to Mid-North Church Council, the number of church-based food pantries serving the neighborhood also grew. In the early 1980s, the member churches determined that the small food pantries of each congregation could better serve the Mapleton-Fall Creek area by combining their resources and establishing a single, central outlet for food, household items, and some clothing. It has been called the Mid-North Food Pantry ever since, receiving its 501(c)(3) designation as a non-profit, faith-based agency in 2003. It remains the only Affiliated Agency of the Mid-North Church Council.
Main support for the pantry is provided by the eight member churches of the Mid-North Church Council. Other churches, faith-based groups, schools, and business groups give additional funding. Food drives by organizations supplement scheduled donations. To keep up with the increased volume of need, the rising cost of food, and the commitment to provide nutritious food for clients, the Pantry always welcomes additional support. Because its purchasing power as a pantry is greater than that of most individuals, cash contributions carry the biggest bang, but food donations also help round out the menu of offerings. If you’d like to donate to this important cause, send your checks (made out to Mid-North Food Pantry, Inc.) to Mid-North Food Pantry, 3333 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208. To volunteer or donate food, contact Mobley at or (317) 924-7900 or info@midnorthfoodpantry.org. Visit the website at http://www.midnorthfoodpantry.org/.