RICHMOND, Ind. — According to a 2024 report from Feeding America, 950,000 Hoosiers were food-insecure in 2022.
That's a jump of 220,000 people from 2021.
Andrew Triana of First English Lutheran Church and Kyle Ingram, executive director of Circle U Help Center, are working to lower that number by partnering for a benefit concert Sunday, Sept. 8, in Jack Elstro Plaza at 6:30 p.m.
The concert, Late Summer Musical Spectacular, is free to attend, but donations and canned goods will be collected with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit the center.
What is the Circle U Help Center?
The Circle U Help Center, a nonprofit organization at 19 N. 13th St. in Richmond, has been around since 1979 and offers breakfast and hot meals Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to about noon, free of charge.
"Because churches have started opening up larger pantries, Circle U is kind of being neglected, and it's been here for many, many, many years," Triana said. "So we're trying to make people aware of it, to say, Don't forget about Circle U because they've provided service for Richmond families, like I said, for years and years."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ingram said the Food and Drug Administration and the federal government, through food banks such as Gleaners, were providing Circle U with 25,000 to 27,000 pounds of food a month, enabling the organization to set up six pantries throughout Richmond.
Once the federal government decided that the pandemic was over, he said, that number has dropped by 90%.
"Just this past month, we received just over 4,000 pounds," Ingram said. "It's no fault of Gleaners by any means ... but what I think is important not only for this county and this city, but for us to recognize, is that food insecurity is a pandemic and it's not going away."
In total, seven volunteers make up Circle U's operation, a resident cook and six women who Ingram said have over a combined 125 years of volunteer experience.
"I have this title of executive director," he said. "But I pretty much do what those ladies tell me to do. We can't do what we do at Circle U, not only without the volunteers, but without the support from the community, the private businesses, the private citizens, to help us financially."
How serious is food insecurity in Wayne County?
In the same report by Feeding America, Wayne County ranked as one of the worst counties in the state for food insecurity based on population, with 16.2% of the population (10,750 people) being insecure, an increase from 8,700 (13.1%) in 2021.
Forty-six percent of county residents were also estimated to be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
According to a map created by the Wayne County Food Council, there are 16 food pantries in the county, with an additional four locations that aren't food pantries but offer free meals.
"It's really hard, if you're hungry, to go hungry in Richmond," Ingram said. "It just speaks volumes about what the community is all about as far as they're caring."
Children in Wayne County also struggle
According to the Feeding America report, Wayne County also ranked as one of the worst counties in the state for child food insecurity, with the report finding that 21.8%, or 3,230, of children living in the area may be lucky to get three meals a day.
That's the county's highest number of food-insecure children since 2019, when there were 2,980, or 20.3%. In 2021, 2,400 children were food-insecure.
"We have a collaboration with Communities In Schools throughout Wayne County," Ingram said. "There are 21 schools in Wayne County, and roughly 9,500 students comprise those schools. Roughly 20% of that number of students are food-insecure kids that go home Friday after school having been fed and may not eat again until they come back to school on Monday. I don't know how families do it."
Through the collaboration, each school has an on-site coordinator who has identified food-insecure students. Students can discreetly go to the coordinator for "healthy, nutritious snacks" to take home.
What does Circle U offer?
Ingram said the center offers doughnuts, coffee and juice in the morning before starting its hot meal service about 10:30 a.m., adding that they like to send clients home with a bag of items to get them through dinner or days when the center isn't open.
"It might be some little frozen packets of chicken breasts, some bread, peanut butter, crackers, cereal, eggs and milk, just so that they've got something to get them through that day until they come back to see us the following day," he said.
Circle U also collaborates with Reid Hospital, Walmart, Kroger, Needlers, Pizza Hut and Starbucks, among other companies, to pick up food to redistribute through the hot meal service or to have prepared to be frozen or refrigerated for families at home.
What is to be expected at the benefit concert?
Musicians include Chris Rogan (piano), Mike Mustin (bass), Max Bailey (drums), Rex Bailey (guitar) and singers Triana, Brett Guiley, Eric Swango, Rock Funk, Nathaniel Arnett, Chastity Hinshaw, Alisha Triana, Maggie Raynor, Lily Phenis and Anabella Triana.
Some songs scheduled include "Don’t Cry for Me Argentina" by Evita, "Lily’s Eyes" by The Secret Garden and "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond.
"We didn't want to make it all about First English," Triana said. "We want it to be a community event. We're doing music from the '70s, '80s, '90s, Broadway. We're doing all kinds of crazy stuff, so it's going to be fun."
In the event of bad weather, the concert will be moved to the First English Luteran Church at 2727 E. Main St. in Richmond.
Triana said the event is nondenominational.
"Whether you're a believer, whether you're Buddhist, Muslim, Jew, Christian, Catholic, doesn't matter," he said. "We're all struggling, and we all need to help each other. That's the whole purpose of the concert."
Evan Weaver is a news and sports reporter at The Palladium-Item. Contact him on X (@evan_weaver7) or email ateweaver@gannett.com.
