We believe that food equity is essential for true equity and justice in our societies. Access to healthy, affordable food should be available to everyone. We recognize that currently, this isn't the case. We are here to uplift those in our communities who fight for better food access, and who provide resources for those in need. Here are some people and organizations who are working in this area, in Indianapolis and Marion County.
Back to our main Food Equity and Justice page.
Jump to: No Questions Asked Food Pantry, Soul Food Project, Tatjana Rebelle (Resiliant Schools Coordinator, and Growin' Good in the Hood Farmer), Flanner House, The Patachou Foundation.
No Questions Asked Food Pantry
Matty (They/She) (Pictured here on the right, with fellow organizer Amber Toombs on the left)- I'm an organizer with No Questions Asked Food Pantry. I'm also a leader at Queering Indy, a grassroots org serving the Indy LGBTQIA community. For my day job, I work as a case manager at The Bail Project. I'm also a full time student, pursuing a degree in social work.
Please introduce your work/organization
No Questions Asked Food Pantry is just what it sounds like! We provide food and other resources to folks, no questions asked. That means that all of the barriers that often prevent people from accessing food with dignity don't exist at NQAFP. No ID? No problem. Not a citizen? No problem? No bills or forms need to be provided, just show up, and we'll try to meet you needs. We rely entirely on volunteers to do our work, and donations make up the majority of the food we distribute.
What is your organization’s mission?
To provide food stability to people living in Indianapolis, while working to undermine oppressive structures that have historically created barriers for people when accessing food and other basic necessities.
How can people access your services?
Our pantry is open Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 12-2. People can come to the pantry located at 1125 Spruce St inside the Church Within to access services, or they can sign up for deliveries by calling us at (317) 203-9661, or by signing up via the link on our Facebook.
How can folks support your work?
They can make a monetary donation here: Venmo - @Amber-Toombs, Paypal - am.c.toombs@gmail.com, Cashapp - $AmberToombs. And they can sign up to volunteer here.
Give a shout out to any organization or person whose work you’d like to lift up!
All of our work at NQAFP is done in memory of Aaron Bailey who was fatally shot by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in 2017. Our pantry is the culmination of years of cooperative labor by radical Black, Brown, Queer, and Trans activists and organizers in Indianapolis with the goal of creating sustainable change for our communities and beyond.
Links: Facebook, Instagram. Email - info@noquestionsaskedfoodpantry.org
Photo credit- @skylercreative on Instagram
My name is Danielle and I am an Indianapolis native. I grew up in the Martindale Brightwood neighborhood. I became interested in food when I realized how good food affects you not only physically but mentally. I started volunteering at different community gardens in 2013, and in 2014 I completed an apprenticeship with Growing Places Indy. I also left for the Peace Corps that year where I delved more into sustainable agriculture and food security. When I returned from the Peace Corps, I knew that I wanted to devote my life to this type of work. My goal is to end food apartheid and build a just and equitable food system.
Please introduce your work/organization
I founded Soul Food Project in 2017 (back then it was just called Temple Garden). The main focus of the organization is our urban farms, where we grow vegetables and herbs using organic practices. We then sell the produce at very low cost because we believe that everyone should have access to clean food not the stuff covered in pesticide in the grocery stores. I also have a youth program where youth can spend the summer working on the farm and learning about our food systems. Our youth program is more about leadership development then the youth becoming farmers. In our goal to build a more equitable food system, we are working to pay everyone a living wage. While I would do the work for free and I did for a while, a food system can't be built without creating jobs that pay decently.
What is your organization’s mission?
Our mission is to foster wellness in our community by increasing access to local food through our urban farm, offering hands on education, and giving local artists a space to showcase their work.
How can people access your services?
They can follow us on facebook or instagram. We usually post events on those platforms. We have a website as well. During the summer, we host a weekly farm stand and offer a lot of volunteer opportunities.
How can folks support your work?
Donations! The organization was funded primarily by myself the first two years but now we have expanded and became an official 501c3 and are applying for grants. With our new size, I can't pay for everything and our costs have almost quadrupled. So donations are big right now, we have donation links on our facebook, instagram and website.
Give a shout out to any organization or person whose work you’d like to lift up!
There are so many organizations in the city that I would like to lift up: Growing Places Indy, Lawrence Community Gardens, Growing Good in the Hood.
Links: Facebook, Instagram and soulfoodprojectindy.org
Tatjana Rebelle - Resilient Schools Coordinator with Earth Charter Indiana, and grower with Growin' Good in the Hood.
Tatjana (far left) at Victory College Prep Academy with their Green Team in their garden. Photo courtesy of Tatjana Rebelle.
My name is Tatjana Rebelle. I am the Resilient Schools Coordinator with Earth Charter Indiana in charge of the Indianapolis Thriving Schools Challenge. I am also a parent, writer and long time activist in Indianapolis.
Please introduce your work/organization
The Thriving Schools Challenge grants schools funding and certification for their sustainability projects. We are about to embark on our 3rd year of the program and my second year as the Coordinator. Recently the program has been fully handed over to me. Food access is at the forefront of this via helping schools with building and maintaining gardens. I am also a grower with Kheprw Institute's Growin Good in the Hood community garden.
What is your organization’s mission?
Our mission is to engage and energize students, educators and parents around projects that enhance their understanding and ownership of sustainability.
How can people access your services?
Via our website. The fall grant application is open until Nov 20, 2020. The Spring Application is open March 1- April 2, 2021.
How can folks support your work?
We are seeking volunteers to help in the summer with gardens. As well as looking to build partnerships with community organizations and businesses looking to help financially.
Give a shout out to any organization or person whose work you’d like to lift up!
La'Kiyah Muhammad is the lead coordinator of the Growin' Good in the Hood program. She works tirelessly to create a program that centers the community and ensure those in the community are lifted. As well as the Community Controlled Food Initiative with KI. They have been feeding folks in the city for quite some time. When COVID hit their work grew 10 fold and they were able to meet the challenge.
Links: indythrivingschools.com/applications, kheprw.org/growingood and kheprw.org/community-controlled-food-initiative
Nick (second from left) and co-workers at Flanner Farm. Photo courtesy of Nick Selm.
What is your organization’s mission?
To help people move from insecurity and disenfranchisement to a place of self-reliance and self-sufficiency.
How can people access your services?
As a larger organization, Flanner House offers different programs that support the community, including a Senior Center, a Child Development Center/preschool as well as our Food Justice Program. I previously taught at the Child Development Center before being moved to the Farm Director position (which falls under the Food Justice Program). The Food Justice Program not only provides fresh produce and food access for the community (through Cleo's Bodega and Cafe), but also provides employment and skills training opportunities. Decades of systemic racism and capitalism have devastated the community infrastructure on the near-northwest side of town. Predominantly working class and black, the neighborhood has been a victim of the city's abuse and neglect. Corporate chains have abandoned the community as well; it has been nearly a decade since the last grocery store in the area closed its doors. The community has been reliant on predatory chains like Family Dollar or gas station convenient stores for food (or "food-like substances"). And neither of those options provide fresh produce. The three prongs of the Food Justice Program (Flanner Farms, Cleo's Bodega, and Cleo's Cafe) all employ people from the Flanner/Near-northwest community.
How can folks support your work?
Obviously, donating money to Flanner House is always great haha. But as far as the Farm goes, we are always in need of helping hands (and brains). The farm is generally open from 10am-2pm, M-F. Feel free to contact me at 317.752.8916 if you are interested in volunteering!
Give a shout out to any organization or person whose work you’d like to lift up!
We have been really happy to work with the local Food Not Bombs chapter here in the city. FNB helps to rescue food that is discarded by capitalist food systems and return it to the people. We are happy to donate produce from the farm to FNB. Currently, the city government is attempting to outlaw the kind of mutual aid work that FNB does in the city. This is just another sign of how capitalism creates poverty and then vilifies it.
A Patachou volunteer with a student. Photo courtesy of The Patachou Foundation.
My name is Kate Franzman and I've been farming for about eight years. Previously, I worked in advertising and as a freelance journalist. Currently, I am the farm manager and beekeeper for Patachou Inc restaurant group (Public Greens) and The Patachou Foundation as well as the communications director for The Patachou Foundation.
Please introduce your work/organization
The Patachou Foundation envisions an equitable food system for all people in Indianapolis. In our work, we address the immediate needs of the youth we serve by providing scratch-made meals (made by Chef Twinkle VanWinkle). To address the systemic issues and root causes of poverty and hunger in our city (ranked worst in the nation for food access) we also provide hands-on educational opportunities to learn about food, how to grow it, where it comes from, cooking skills, job skills, financial literacy, and more.
What is your organization’s mission?
To cultivate an equitable future for youth by amplifying the value and power of food.
How can people access your services?
We strategically partner with community centers and schools based on their needs and so we can provide an in-depth and custom experience. If an organization is interested in partnering with us, they can reach out to executive director Matthew Feltrop at matthew@thepatachoufoundation.org.
How can folks support your work?
Because of Covid, our volunteer opportunities are currently limited, but you can sign up to learn more and/or make a donation at our website.
Give a shout out to any organization or person whose work you’d like to lift up!
Shout out to fellow farmer Danielle at @soulfoodprojectindy
Links: thepatachoufoundation.org, and Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook