Second Harvest: Homeward Bound

By Lois Rockhill

Evelyn Goode is the spokeswoman for Homeward Bound for East Central Indiana. Her story serves to motivate community groups and individuals to raise funds for hunger and homelessness. It’s best to read her story in her own words. Go to our Second Harvest Food Bank website at www.curehunger.org, click on the ‘related links’ tab and then on Homeward Bound. Once on the statewide site, go to the map and choose East Central Indiana.

Evelyn tells the story of her own personal struggle as a young mother of five making the difficult decision to leave a marriage destroyed by addiction. “The breaking point was after Christmas of 1993. My children ranged in age from 4 years to eleven. With no tree, no presents, and no Christmas dinner, I decided to try and get help.”

From that point of action, Evelyn’s story goes on to recount challenges overcome by her own determination and with the help of others. Today she holds a university degree and a position of responsibility at a local bank. “I wake up everyday accepting that there are things in life I can’t control and knowing that it is how I choose to react that determines my destiny.”

Thousands of Hoosiers will choose to react to stories like Evelyn’s by walking this month in a statewide event called Homeward Bound. Here in our region the walk will take place in Chesterfield at noon on April 27. There are 14 agencies from Delaware and Madison County that are benefiting from the walk. All are looking for team members.

Second Harvest has broadened the field by encouraging all the agencies we serve in eight counties to form a team under our auspices. Their team will raise money to help leverage more food from Second Harvest. Pantries and meal programs getting food from Second Harvest help defray the food bank’s cost of obtaining, storing and delivering the products to them by contributing a portion of the total cost. Homeward Bound funds from designated teams will help them with this.

Other teams will raise money to help organizations provide housing, shelter and supportive services. This is an opportunity for businesses, schools, churches and other groups to support the work that goes on every day to provide for people in their moment of need. Evelyn’s story shared so bravely and generously, shows what a difference we make in the lives of others when we step forward to offer our support.

While you are putting dates on the calendar, please add a note to May 10. That is the date of the largest one day food drive in the nation! The Letter Carriers Food Drive requires very little from the community. They do it all for you!

All you have to do is select canned goods from your kitchen shelf, put them in a plastic bag and set it out by your mailbox that morning. Volunteers, letter carriers, rural carriers, post office staff will all be joining together to pick up your donations and see that they get to a pantry in your town.

 Lois Rockhill is Executive Director of Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana, Inc