Pantry Volunteers: Nan Tulchinsky, Jim Kapsa, Meleah Pustelak

The Northeast Neighborhood Food Pantry is located at the Northeast Neighborhood Center, 803 N. Notre Dame Ave.  We strive to provide nutritious, balanced selections to our clients and their families. 

We welcome any family in need.

Donations are always welcome. Food donations can be dropped off at the Food Pantry during operating hours.  Monetary donations may be sent to the attention of Solomon Anderson, Northeast Neighborhood Council, 803 N. Notre Dame Ave., South Bend, IN 46617 (please make checks payable to the Northeast Neighborhood Council).

The Pantry relies on the generosity of its many community partners including Harter Heights iPorch, Granger IPorch, CIA (Community in Action), St. Peters United Church of Christ, Sacred Heart Parish, The Community Foundation, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Cultivate Food Rescue, and a host of other organizations and private donors.

A Word From the Food Pantry Director

Hello,

I am Nan Tulchinsky and I am delighted to tell you a bit about the North East Neighborhood Food Pantry located in the beautifully and freshly painted Fire Station.

We had closely followed the guidelines of serving only families in the 46617 area until the pandemic but with the number of Pantries closing and the number of people without work the need for food has grown exponentially. Thus we have served anyone who has come to our door. Our records show that our yearly July1 to June 30 report reflects that we served almost 600 more people than last year. This has been possible through many generous donors.  We have created 3 “I porch” programs; one in Harter Heights, one in Granger and one with a group of St. Joe High School students.  Harter Heights donations arrive the 1^st Tuesday of each month, Granger donations arrive the 2^nd Wednesday of the month and SJ donations arrive the 3^rd Wednesday of the month. We also receive a $500.00 check from Sacred Heart parish when we need to order ground meat. And we receive monetary donations from St Peters UIC Church. Lastly we had be recipients of monetary donations from neighbors.

We are trying to expand the healthy food options that families who live on Pantry offerings rarely experience. So we spend some of the monies we receive in donations and grants.

We purchase milk and eggs for every family. We have joined with Purple Porch to purchase potatoes, onions, green beans and apples. We have partnered with Green Bridge Growers to purchase lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, green, yellow and blue beans. We have had donations of corn on the cob. By building the relationships with Purple Porch and Green Bridge Growers ( Green Bridge, run by Jan Palarski is a farm where young people with Autism work) we are supporting each other within our community. Jan prepared brown sack meals with all ingredients and cooking instructions for our families. Along with that we are purchasing laundry soap because the Covid case count is higher in brown and black neighborhoods and people must keep things clean.

Jim Kapsa, Meleah Pustelak and I have worked every Tuesday and Wednesday and Friday since early March. It has been so rewarding to know that this Pantry is making a difference but we know that we are only facilitators and it is the generous neighbors and donors that has made this possible.

We had the City Inspector visit us and we received a Perfect Inspection report from them.

We have run a very tight ship in regard to keeping everything clean and hopefully free of the virus. Any food that comes in will sit for 3 days before we shelf it. No clients are allowed in the “inner sactum” to protect us from the virus. I reconfigured our usual procedures so that we are safe from the virus. I do the paper work, Meleah does all the food packing and Jim runs the Distribution Room. When the bags of food are packed we place them outside the side door in a plastic case and the clients pick their food up there.

It is working, people are extremely grateful and we can’t say Thank you often enough.