On April 29, 2023, Second Helpings turns 25 years old! This milestone is an occasion to reflect on all the work our community has done together, as well as the work that continues into the next 25 years and beyond.

Our first meal delivery ticket

On April 29, 1998, Second Helpings delivered our very first meal – salad, stew, and pudding – to Holy Family Shelter. In that first month, our 37 volunteers helped a small staff rescue 7,000 pounds of food and prepare 3,074 meals.

Fast forward to 2023, where we’re now rescuing more than 333,000 pounds and delivering more than 100,000 meals in a month.

Since our founding, Second Helpings has passed incredible milestones:

  • rescuing more than 46 million pounds of food
  • delivering more than 18 million meals
  • graduating more than 980 students from the Culinary Job Training program

We look forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary all year, and we’re completing a strategic plan this summer that will guide us through the next three years. There will be a variety of ways to join in this year of celebration – stay tuned!

Whether you have been part of the Second Helpings team since Day 1, or if you’re learning about us for the first time, we invite you to be a part of our future – whether it’s by signing up to volunteer, making a gift, or applying for the Culinary Job Training program. Whatever your involvement looks like – know that it will make a difference in our community.

Although we’re certainly proud of all that Second Helpings has provided, I wish it was no longer necessary – and that we could eradicate hunger and poverty in our community all together.

Our meal numbers are still higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, and our volunteer numbers are still lower than they were in 2019. If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved or wondering if your contribution would make a difference – now is the time.

Thank you to everyone who has made it possible for Second Helpings to reach this special milestone, and together, we will continue our work to feed Indy.