5 questions
Jane Avery
On Wednesday, Community Harvest Food Bank launched a $5 million capital campaign with the help of Sen. Richard Lugar and Parkview Health CEO Mike Packnett.
The money raised will be used to upgrade the food bank’s current building and renovate the former Azar’s commissary on Coliseum Boulevard, which was a gift from the Azar family.
Jane Avery, executive director of the food bank, spoke with editorial writer Stacey Stumpf about the campaign.
Here are excerpts of the interview; listen to the entire interview by going to The Journal Gazette’s home page at www.journa1gazette.net. Click “opinion,” then click “5 Questions for Jane Avery.”
1 The existing warehouse is 16 years old. Why do you need more room?
In the world of food, or really any business that’s growing, 16 is a fairly long time. We’re not new any more. But probably the more important aspect is the world of food and consumer food choices have changed a lot in 16 years. Sixteen years ago, you could still go into a grocery store and see lots of lines of product that were mainly shelf-stable product. In that time since, you’ve seen the perimeter of stores grow. You’ve seen the already-prepared foods and the deli foods. … Also, the people’s decision to eat better and fresher foods and more local foods that’s the trend. And more frozen foods. When you see major retailers like Kroger and Walmart and Meijer’s, when they are putting in their new stores and you are seeing them dedicating another new row or two new rows to fresh and/or frozen foods. That’s where the industry is, and we have to walk in lockstep with the industry if we want to stay viable as an organization.
2 What operations will go into the new facility?
It’s probably shorter to say what’s going to stay here. Our Community Cupboard is going to expand. Its footprint is probably going to at least double, if not more. That’s a program we’ve never marketed, but it did over one-tenth of our total business last year. It did over 1.2 million pounds. …
The Senior Pack area will be expanding too because a lot of those folks lost a lot of their retirement income over in the past 18 months because of the market failures. Those two programs, as well as our Reclamation program, are going to stay here. The new facility will be that fresh and frozen product primarily.
3 How did Sen. Lugar become involved in the campaign?
He’s a remarkable man. He is an absolutely remarkable man. He himself is a farmer – still has that 604 acres in Marion County. … In the world of hunger relief on Capitol Hill, there is no greater advocate than Dick Lugar. He has the ability to walk both sides of the aisles with honor and integrity and bring people together for those issues.
4 What has changed over the last 16 years in how you do business?
Sixteen years ago, we were still focused on market mistakes or industry mistakes. … Now, it’s so much different because people have changed the way they eat. … We want to work more with more with farmers instead of looking so far down the food chain for opportunities. We want to look out my window and see a farm and let’s get it right out of the dirt, because that’s better anyway.
5 How can the average person help with the campaign and support your efforts?
Let’s start with the fact that September is Hunger Action Month. And I like to focus on that word action. Let’s do something.
People can take action by talking about it. I think one of our biggest obstacles to overcome is that we are a victim of our own success. You don’t see people dying on the streets or sitting on the corners with “will work for food” (signs). I think that gives other folks the impression that that problem must be somewhere else.
