Stamp out food event scheduled for this weekend
On Saturday, May 11th, local letter carriers will once again collect food for Hoosier Hills Food Bank. Sponsored locally by National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 828 and supported by the National Rural Letter Carriers Association and US Postal Service, Stamp Out Hunger is a nationwide event occurring every year on the second Saturday in May.
Community members are encouraged to place a bag or box of food at their mailbox on Saturday, May 11 and their letter carrier or a volunteer will collect it for Hoosier Hills Food Bank. The food drive is HHFB’s largest and last year’s event resulted in over 35,000 pounds donated. Organizers hope to bring the total back up to the over 40,000 pounds received in 2022.
“I can’t overemphasize the importance of this food drive to the food bank, and the agencies and neighbors that we serve,” said HHFB Executive Director and CEO Julio Alonso. “Over half our agency partners are seeing more neighbors than last year and half say those numbers are still increasing. One-third of our agencies are not receiving enough food from us to meet the demand. This is one of the easiest ways for people to help – just put the food at your mailbox and your letter carrier will deliver it to us!”
“Each year letter carriers look forward to filling up our trucks with food to help our community. Please help us have full trucks to take to the food bank this year!” said NALC Branch 828 President Joshua Peterson.
Any type of non-perishable food is needed with canned fruits, vegetables and protein as the top priority. No perishables, expired, open food or glass jars should be donated. In 2023, Hoosier Hills Food Bank distributed over 5.2 million pounds of food through direct service programs and a network of over 90 partner agencies in six counties in south central Indiana. Additional sponsors of Stamp Out Hunger include United Way of South Central Indiana and Kroger.
We’re still looking for more volunteer drivers for the Stamp out Hunger Food Drive! Routes start around 10:30-11 AM and take a maximum of 4 hours. If you have a second person to help you they usually take much less time. If you have your own vehicle and want to help collect food donations to Stamp Out Hunger please contact Ryan at volunteer@hhfoodbank.org or call us at 812-334-8374!
If you or your organization would like to run your own food or fund drive to benefit Hoosier Hills Food Bank contact Mike at nutrition@hhfoodbank.org.
Irish Lion to change business model after more than 40 years
After 42 years of being a Bloomington tradition, the Irish Lion, the region’s most popular Irish tavern will close up shop but remain open for take-out food purchases. The move is being made after the owner has announced retirement. Here is the social media announcement that was released on Wednesday afternoon:
The owner of the Irish Lion has retired. Rest assured, pub favorites will still be available after two weeks and throughout the summer as the Irish Lion transitions to a delivery-only, beginning on or before May 22nd. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our amazing team, loyal guests, and valued business and community partners for their unwavering support, which has been instrumental in the ongoing success of the Irish Lion. *Be sure to follow us on social media for upcoming announcements* Sláinte!
– Irish Lion Facebook Account
Byron Bangert to be recognized by Bloomington Human Rights Council
In 1997, the Bloomington Human Rights Commission began annually recognizing individuals and groups who have made specific, significant contributions to improving civil rights, human relations, or civility in the community. In 2024, the Commission will recognize Byron Bangert and Building a Thriving Compassionate Community.
Byron Bangert, a retired academic, ethics consultant, and ordained minister, served on the Human Rights Commission for twenty-seven years, working to investigate complaints of local human rights violations and to educate and advocate in the field. In addition to his volunteer work with the Commission, his nominators highlight his “boundless service” over “many decades of volunteerism” with the Monroe County Red Cross, Hospice of Bloomington, South Central Community Mental Health Center, the Bloomington Hospital Institutional Review Board, United Way of Monroe County, the Community Justice and Mediation Center, the Bloomington 9/11 Working Group, and Monroe County United Ministries: “Byron represents the best of Bloomington’s vision for a safer, more inclusive, and more equitable society for all.”
Building A Thriving Compassionate Community, or BTCC, is a network of individuals dedicated to identifying and addressing social problems in Monroe County. Begun in 2015, BTCC aims to promote an equitable society by offering trainings, resources, and opportunities for members to connect and collaborate. The organization’s nominator emphasizes that “their values and mission are centered on upholding human rights and redistributing power and resources so those in need have access.”
Byron Bangert and representatives of BTCC will be celebrated on Wednesday evening, May 15, 2024, during the City Council meeting in Council Chambers at 401 N. Morton Street. The Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission stated, “We are deeply grateful for their work, passion, and dedication to human rights in our community.”
The mission of the Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission is to enforce the Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Ordinance in a fair and timely manner, to educate community members about their rights and responsibilities under various civil rights laws and to advocate for changes in policies and law.
This Week in Hoosier History
1923 – Anne Baxter was born in Michigan City, Indiana. The granddaughter of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, she became a star of Broadway, movies, and TV. She worked with top directors, including Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, and Cecil B. DeMille. She won an Oscar for her role in “The Razor’s Edge.”
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson