Eight Donors, One Truck: Fresh Food for 21 Indiana Counties

The SEP Foundation joins seven other donors to fund a refrigerated truck expanding Gleaners’ fresh food delivery across Central and Southeast Indiana

Westfield, Indiana – Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana is purchasing a 26-foot refrigerated box truck with support from eight donors, including the SEP Foundation. The truck can transport approximately 20,000 pounds of food per trip across Gleaners’ 21-county service area.

Gleaners distributes food through a network of nearly 300 partner agencies in Central and Southeast Indiana, traveling roughly 300,000 miles and making more than 9,000 delivery stops each year. Its current fleet of 15 trucks and 35 trailers includes several vehicles more than ten years old, and annual maintenance and fuel costs now exceed $150,000.

The added refrigerated capacity will support consistent distribution of fresh produce, dairy, and protein, and will give partner agencies more flexible delivery days. It will also support Gleaners2Go, a program serving neighbors who face barriers to reaching a traditional food pantry, where demand has grown fastest in rural counties.

SEP has volunteered with Gleaners since 2011.

“The SEP Foundation exists because we believe everyone deserves a real path out of poverty, and surprisingly logistics is often what stands in the way. Gleaners2Go goes to neighbors who can’t get to a pantry, and a refrigerated truck means it can arrive with produce and protein instead of just shelf-stable food,” said Traci Dossett, Chief Operations Officer at SEP. “Gleaners came to us with this specific need, which we appreciated. They know their operation better than we do. Joining the group of donors to meet that specific need felt like the right way to help.”

Feeding America’s 2026 Map the Meal Gap study estimates that 1,097,150 Hoosiers experienced food insecurity in 2024, or 15.8 percent of the state’s population. Sixty-one percent of them have incomes above the SNAP eligibility threshold, meaning they earn too much to qualify for federal food assistance.

“We are so excited about the upcoming purchase of our new refrigerated truck and grateful for the support of our friends at SEP Foundation,” said Suzanne Thompson, Donor Engagement Officer at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. Modernizing the fleet, Thompson said, is “a strategic investment that will enhance long-term sustainability, increase access to healthy food, and ensure we can continue meeting the growing needs of communities throughout Central and Southeast Indiana.”

Gleaners needs several hundred volunteers a week, and they take groups. Our team books a shift a few times a year. If yours wants to do the same, schedule one at gleaners.org/volunteer.