JACH NEWS SERVICE

LAFAYETTE – Food Finders executive director Katy Bunder said she knows it’s difficult for people to give in such a tough economy, but she also knows the economy is the reason why the need is so great.

Despite the squeeze, Bunder said her year as executive director of Food Finders Food Bank has been largely rewarding. Bunder celebrated her first anniversary as director of the food bank in August.

Over that time, the demand for food from Food Finders has increased by 40 percent, Bunder said.

“There’s a much greater need for food,” Bunder said. “The grocery stores aren’t ordering as much so they don’t have as much left over and we typically get the leftovers.”

Bunder said she realizes the stereotype that hunger is not a big problem in Tippecanoe County. She said they have developed a play called “The Faces of Hunger” in which she hopes will better illustrate the real problem of Hunger in the Greater Lafayette area.

“It’s about a 13-minute skit and we’ve taken that to two locations to make people aware of poor in our community,” Bunder said. “People may not recognize the working poor or under-employed. It’s the people you see everyday and don’t know they are struggling to get food.

“It’s the single mother with two kids or elderly people living just on social security. It’s people who have worked in factory jobs all of their lives and have been laid off or had an injury and can’t keep working. A lot of people hungry are children.”

Bunder said while Food Finders needs are great in every category, there is a list of popular items that the bank will always have as a priority, including peanut butter, tuna, cereal, canned fruit, vegetables, soup, canned vegetable.

“We are especially low on right now is canned food,” Bunder said.

As for Bunder, she said she has enjoyed the tough work of being executive director.

“I had run a low-income housing project and I really wanted to continue with that kind of helping people,” Bunder said. “I like working with the basic needs of food and shelter. It’s been very rewarding for me helping people from being hungry. It’s been very rewarding.”

Bunder said the community should keep in mind that one in every eight people in Tippecanoe County is hungry or struggles with finding food.

“The phrase that they use is food insecure,” Bunder said. “I think they should be aware in the Lafayette schools, 70 percent of the children are on free or reduced lunch. That tells us and they are in danger of going hungry on the weekends.”

Bunder said while the hard work of feeding the hungry continues, she’s grateful for the community support.