MICHIGAN CITY — What began as a small, volunteer-powered gamble in late 2018 has grown into one of La Porte County’s most powerful responses to hunger.
When the Food Bank of Northern Indiana asked CCH to take over food rescue operations in Michigan City, the organization stepped in as a subcontractor under Feeding America with little more than a rented U-Haul and help from volunteers at the Keys to Hope Community Resource Center.
By the first week of January 2019, the Food Rescue Initiative was underway, and since then, it has delivered more than four million pounds of food at no cost to families across La Porte County.
This program, through the mobile food distribution events, has served more than 10,800 families and 32,400 individuals in the last three years alone.
In its earliest days, the Food Rescue Initiative operated exclusively under Feeding America.
Within two months, the organization expanded its reach by forming a partnership with Andershock Farms in Chesterton, significantly increasing food distribution beyond Michigan City.
When COVID-19 reached Indiana, newly launched federal and state efforts, including the Farmers to Families program and Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, delivered hundreds of thousands of pounds of food to the county.
These efforts also marked the beginning of mobile food distribution events, a vital service that continues to support the community today through local grants and donations.
Jim Musial, executive director of CCH, said the Food Rescue Initiative has become the organization’s most far-reaching program, bringing together an unprecedented network of community partners to address food insecurity.
The initiative collaborates with the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, major donor businesses including Walmart, Meijer and GFS, local food pantries, host communities for mobile distributions and a dedicated team of volunteers.
Together, these partners form a coordinated effort that mobilizes resources across the region to meet one of the community’s most critical basic needs.
As the Food Rescue Initiative evolved, a three-year grant from the Indiana Department of Health enabled a significant expansion of its impact, funding mobile food distribution events, food truck care and maintenance, and, most critically, community education.
Through this support, CCH broadened its food rescue efforts to include nutrition education, plant-based cooking workshops, healthy eating on a budget class and ServSafe certification training, helping residents gain both practical life skills and a competitive edge in the food service industry.
CCH also partners with Purdue University to offer the Dining with Diabetes, a four-class series and Be Heart Smart, a four-part cardiovascular health program. Health and wellness have become central pillars of the initiative, strengthened by sustained state and local investment.
In 2025 alone, mobile food distribution events facilitated by the Food Rescue Initiative provided enough food for an estimated 239,328 meals, according to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.
In addition to support from the Indiana Department of Health, CCH recognizes the vital role of local organizations whose grant funding has strengthened and expanded its food rescue efforts.
In 2020, generous investments from the Health Foundation of La Porte and the Duneland Health Council made it possible for CCH to purchase a refrigerated truck, an asset that significantly increased the program’s capacity and reach.
Over the years, additional grants supporting mobile food distribution events, education, and operations have been provided by the Barker Welfare Foundation, Duneland Health Council, Franciscan Health, Health Foundation of La Porte, John W. Anderson Foundation, Michigan City Community Enrichment Corp., United Way of La Porte County and the Unity Foundation of La Porte County.
Together with committed individuals, churches and businesses, these partners have made and continue to make a meaningful investment in the health and well-being of the community.
