By Mandy Underwood
munderwood@thepaperofwabash.com
Citizens of Wabash County, along with the entire world are experiencing unprecedented times currently with the
COVID-19 pandemic taking over, causing stay-at-home orders, job loss, and uncertainty.
Due to the unemployment and children not being in school and receiving a daily meal, many families are wondering
how they will feed their family. Luckily, many businesses, school corporations and others are coming together as a
community to help those in need during this time.
For those families and individuals who are still facing the fear of hunger, food pantries, such as FISH of Wabash,
Campus Pantry at Manchester University and The Community Cupboard of Living Well in Wabash County are
continuing to serve the community.
Janet Shoue, director of FISH of Wabash told The Paper of Wabash County that the pantry has been seeing many
new families signing up for food each week, but that their total numbers have not increased a significant amount.
“We have had lots of new families signing up for food, usually 3 or 4 new families each day, but we have not had a
huge increase yet,” she said. “We are bracing for that, but possibly because of all the wonderful agencies helping
right now and because our older clients are really hesitant to go anywhere right now, our numbers have not seen the
increases we have been expecting.”
Also, due to many people shopping in bulk to decrease the amount of times they will have to go to the grocery
store, it has been difficult for officials of FISH of Wabash to purchase what they need for the families they serve.
“There were a few weeks providing the food that we normally provided was a huge challenge because the stores
were completely sold out of many things and if they did have some they were limiting what we could purchase.
Things like milk, bread and toilet paper, to name a few, we could only buy a very limited amount to feed about 20
families a day,” said Shoue.
“Everyone was dealing with the same issues, but it was hard to not be able to get these kinds of things for all our
families. We at FISH are so blessed by the community. We have had so many businesses, community members,
and churches reach out to make extra donations of food, and to find out how they can help.”
As of now, FISH of Wabash is fully stocked and ready to continue serving the community.
Just like all other businesses and organizations, FISH has made differences to their normal routine due to the virus.
“We at FISH have made several changes,” said Shoue.
“Our biggest change is that in normal circumstances our clients would come into the pick-up room to get their
groceries. While they were there they could choose many different extra items. We also have lots of clothes and
thing for people who need them to take. All of that has stopped. We now are asking our clients to stay in their cars.
Our volunteers carry the groceries out to the clients’ cars. We are doing our best to keep everyone healthy and fed.”
FISH of Wabash is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday. If wanting to take advantage of the services
offered by FISH of Wabash, please call ahead at 260-563-5151.
“If people can’t or don’t feel like they can get out, we can try to line up a delivery for them. FISH can always use
more volunteers. For anyone wishing to volunteer, we ask that you please call ahead to make sure we have less
than 10 people in the pantry at a time,” Shoue told The Paper.
Also, during this time of uncertainty, the Campus Pantry at Manchester University has been serving students who
remain on campus.
Although classes are not happening in person, Manchester University students continue to take classes. Most do
so from home, but some were compelled by circumstances to live on campus or in neighborhoods nearby.
“COVID-19 sent a lot of students home, but it left others here in town with little to do but study. Some have limited
access to food,” said Ali Goetcheus, director of civic engagement and theAcorns service office.
With the Indiana governor’s stay-at-home order in place, even students living nearby could not get to the
theAcorns|Campus Pantry inside the Augustus and Lockie Chinworth Center, and few have easy access to
transportation for shopping. Challenging circumstances led to a delivery service.
“Our students are able to ‘shop’ through a menu of items that we have available in the panty. On Thursdays, we
are able to fill a student’s request and drop it off where they live,” Goetcheus said. “At this time, we are supporting
both students on campus and those in the backyard community.”
The pantry serves 20 to 25 students a week.
Most of those served have access to a dorm-size refrigerator and microwave, so the pantry concentrates on
supplying items that make sense: Half a gallon of milk that fits in a small fridge; one-person servings; and dried
goods. Ramen noodles, peanut butter, jelly, bread, milk and snack items are among foods available.
Most students who live on campus are on the meal plan, so for them the pantry is supplying “gap food,” Goetcheus
said. Those who live in the University apartments and in neighborhoods around campus rely on the pantry to help out
with meals.
The food pantry is made possible thought MU’s partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central
Indiana, Manchester Fellowship of Churches Food Pantry, Sodexo Food Service, MU vending contractors and
donations from the public.
Donations may be made at https://www.manchester.edu/alumni/campus-pantry-donation-form.
As of the Community Cupboard, an asset of Living Well in Wabash County has been steady when it comes to the
services it provides, according to Beverly Ferry, Chief Executive Officer of Living Well in Wabash County.
“We are not yet seeing the spike in households that we saw in 2008 which continued until 2016,” said Ferry.
“However, the monthly food give away provided by Second Harvest of East Central Indiana in collaboration with
Living Well in Wabash County served 876 households despite being on an off day due to Good Friday. Tailgates
held on a different day are usually less attended. Looking back on records, it is not unusual to see a spike, but not on
an off day. To see an increase of 25% is quite unusual. The tailgate numbers are a barometer of what is to come.
Based on that, our projections are that we will see at least a 25% increase in need, but in reality we anticipate it being
even more than the 25%.”
The Community cupboard also struggled with providing foods once people began stripping the shelves at the
grocery stores.
“Grocery stores are our normal source of donated frozen meat, but that took a dramatic dive when people were
literally stripping the shelves,” she said. “That really hurt in March. As stores replenish and restock, the meat
donations have improved. Based upon our experience of 2008 through 2014, we know there will be increased
demand that will require additional funding.”
The organization was awarded a grant from the Community Foundation in April, which will help to offset the
difference.
“With that grant we were able to purchase 100 one-pound packages of frozen hamburger and the market donated
another seventy pounds. Potential food shortages due to closure of processing plants nation-wide will decrease the
amount of meat stores will have to donate,” said Ferry.
Rather than our normal client choice operation (pantry clients go with a volunteer into the pantry) with each
household making their own selections, Community Cupboards switched the pantry to a drive through operation,
providing pre-bagged items.
The pantry team wears gloves and masks, but the space in the pantry cannot accommodate the need for
volunteers to keep six feet apart. As of last week, the pantry was switched to delivery using Wabash County Public
Transportation. The Indiana National Guard helped by moving shelf stable foods to the main room of the senior
center. That enables more space between volunteers who bag the food and more room in the actual pantry for
bagging fresh produce and frozen meats.
Wabash County residents should call Wabash County Transit Dispatch at 260-563-4475 to request delivery.
Transit will also pick up from other pantries and deliver to the home of any pantry client. The larger pantries in
Wabash County are all income based. This has not changed with the current pandemic, but what has changed is
that clients’ current income is accepted rather than an annualized amount.