Pacers Foundation, Gleaners, and Catholic Charities Announce Program to Address Food Insecurity in Terre Haute

September 30, 2024

INDIANAPOLIS – Executives from the Pacers Foundation, Gleaners, Catholic Charities Terre Haute, and Mayor Brandon Sakbun held a press conference on Friday, Sept. 27, to announce the expansion of the Drive & Dish program to Terre Haute. This is the first expansion for this program outside of Marion County, and through 2025 it will bring nearly11,000 boxes of fresh produce, eggs, and healthy recipes to residents in Vigo and Clay Counties.

“Thanks to the work of our local partners and Gleaners, and by leveraging the generous investments of Pacers owners Herb Simon and Stephen Rales, the Pacers Foundation is able to bring Drive & Dish to Terre Haute and expand a model that has already demonstrated measurable outcomes,” said Pacers Sports & Entertainment Senior Vice President Corey Wilson. “Over the next decade, the Pacers Foundation will continue to expand this model statewide and use our brand to engage experts and thought leaders, advocate, and promote best practices.”

Drive & Dish launched in Indianapolis on Jan. 1, 2024, and is on pace to deliver 16,000 boxes of food in Indianapolis neighborhoods by the end of the year. The program, built by the Pacers Foundation in collaboration with Gleaners and local partners, was the result of a push by Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle’s desire to help address food insecurity in Indiana. Now that the Pacers Foundation is expanding statewide, these local partnerships will be critical in sustaining the momentum and bringing much needed support to more Hoosiers.

“Partnering with the Pacers Foundation through their Drive & Dish program is an incredible opportunity for our community,” said John C. Etling, Agency Director of Catholic Charities Terre Haute. “We are grateful for the leadership and vision of the Pacers’ ownership and management for not only expanding this impactful program into our area but also for their unwavering commitment to ending hunger. Their dedication to providing fresh produce and protein will make a meaningful difference in the lives of the families we serve, and we’re proud to stand alongside them in this effort to fight food insecurity in our communities.”

Nearly a million Hoosiers across the state are currently facing some level of food insecurity, and it is an issue that impacts families in every county. Research shows that the inability of adults and children to access nutritious foods consistently has significant repercussions on public health, educational outcomes and learning, overall productivity, and more. There are already incredible organizations doing impactful work to feed Indiana’s hungry every day, and Drive & Dish is an effort to leverage the power of basketball to shine a light on this important cause

“As all of you know, Terre Haute is a proud basketball town with a rich history of high school and college underdog stories, and many people in our community have deep bonds to these stories, not just for the love of the sports, but because of the parallels to our own lives,” said Mayor Sakbun. “Terre Haute’s story is one of an underdog so when the Pacers Foundation and Pacers Sports & Entertainment told me that Terre Haute had been selected as one of the cities for expansion of their incredible program called Drive & Dish, I have to admit, I was surprised and overwhelmed with gratitude because I know this program will have a profound impact on so many in need.”

“We’re honored to be a part of this effort to address food insecurity with great community organizations like Pacers Sports and Entertainment,” said Fred Glass, President and CEO of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. “Drive and Dish recognizes the importance not just of food, but in bringing people together at trusted community organizations. We’re so pleased to be able to support our fellow Feeding America food bank, Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank, as they launch this program in their service area.”

Catholic Charities Terre Haute will help residents in need connect with the program and help them get started. Twice a month, partners at HATCH and Fresh Connect will deliver boxes of fresh, grocery store-quality food to Gleaners who will then deliver the boxes to six community organizations where the residents will pick-up their food. The six locations include Ben Franklin Elementary School, Sarah Scott Mobile Pantry, West Vigo High School, Knights of Columbus Mobile Pantry, and Brown Bagger Senior Programs at Garfield Towers and Warren Village in Terre Haute.