For four decades, the Interchurch Food Pantry has served up countless amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables, gallons of milk and packages of meat.
People struggling to buy food knew they could pick up packages of pasta, canned goods, hygiene items and so much more to feed themselves and their families.
But on Saturday, something special was being served up at the food pantry — birthday cake.
The Interchurch Food Pantry and dozens of community members gathered to celebrate the organization’s 40th anniversary. From its simple beginnings in a church basement closet, the pantry has grown to become the county’s driving engine in the fight against hunger.
People came to the food pantry’s Franklin headquarters to tour the facility, hear from pantry leaders and eat a slice of cake in celebration.
Work remains in fighting back against the ever-growing issue of food insecurity in the county, said Carol Phipps, executive director of the pantry.
But the foundation laid over the past 40 years has put the pantry in a good position to eliminate hunger locally.
“It’s the collaboration that makes this all work. With great gratitude in my heart, I thank you for all that you do,” Phipps said. “God has blessed us, and continues to bless us, through each and every one of you.”
Saturday’s celebration had an element of surprise, as well. At the close of the program, Phipps was honored with the Sagamore of the Wabash, an honor presented to Indiana residents who have given distinguished service to the state or the sitting governor.
Indiana Rep. Robb Greene, who represents much of Johnson County in District 47 in the General Assembly, gave the gift-wrapped plaque to Phipps.
“My mother always taught me that you should bring a gift when you go to an event like this, and sometimes gift giving is very difficult. So the entire Johnson County community put their heads together to think of something very special to honor you, Carol,” Greene said.
For Phipps, who has helped lead the pantry as it feeds about 140 families per day, receiving the award was a shock.
“I’m blown away,” she said.
Prior to the surprise presentation, the afternoon had been filled with a sense of revelry. Guests made their way through the different areas of the food pantry, learning how clients are signed in on pantry days, how the warehouse is sorted and organized, and how food is distributed.
Visitors snacked on fresh fruit and vegetable cups, a nod to the pantry’s commitment to serving clients highly nutritious options. At the same time, kids grabbed blue frosted cupcakes while following their parents through the tour.
Groups such as the Johnson County Public Library, Central Nine Career Center and Purdue Extension Johnson County — all partners of the food pantry — had tables set up to pass out information about their programs.
The event was designed to be casual and self-guided. But midway through, a short formal ceremony gave pantry leaders and local officials a chance to thank the community.
People also heard personal stories on how the pantry has impacted lives. Debbie Adams, who volunteers two times a week at the pantry, spoke about how her first experience with it was as a client.
She was in treatment for kidney failure and cancer, which cut her income severely. Without the food pantry, she would not have been able to make ends meet, she said.
When the opportunity came about for her to volunteer, she seized it.
“Now, I can give back to them,” she said. “Without this place, I wouldn’t have made it a few years ago.”
Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett and Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers both spoke about the impact the Interchurch Food Pantry has had on their cities.
“I am always asked what makes Franklin special? What makes Franklin special is the people, and it’s people like this, that we see every day, that care about our community and care about helping people in need,” Barnett said.
Myers focused on how different people, businesses and organizations all worked together to beat back hunger — particularly among young people.
“It shocked me the number of youth we have in this county who are underprivileged and in that impoverished area. I want to thank all of you who are involved who help to give to our community and to the many churches who are involved, and to our local grocery stores who provide a lot of the food and supplies,” he said. “Thank you to each and every one of you for giving back and making our county a better place for people to want to live, work, stay and play.”
Phipps also took the opportunity to thank everyone who has made the pantry a success. She recalled her own history with the organization, sharing the stage with Sheila Morton, who was co-manager of the pantry with her in 2012, when she started.
“Sheila and I, we said, let’s get together and offer to run (the pantry) together,” Phipps said. “For a number of years, it’s been a real joy.”
She also focused on the future of the pantry. The organization gave more than 1.5 million meals to households in 2022, and that number is going to continue to climb, Phipps said.
With the support the community has shown in its first 40 years, she’s confident they’ll be able to meet that challenge.
“As we look to the future, we have faith that we’ll have opportunities come our way. We’ll seek out things that benefit the people we serve, because that’s what we’re all about,” Phipps said.
