The face of hunger isn’t always what people expect. It could be your co-worker, a veteran living with disabilities, a single parent or couple balancing tight budgets, the widow in your neighborhood or a family struggling with medical expenses.

To help fill the gap in food accessibility, Food Bank of Northwest Indiana will be the beneficiary of proceeds from the Strack & Van Til’s Checkout Challenge Round Up in its Lake and Porter County stores. Funds collected from Strack & Van Til’s DeMotte and Rensselaer stores will benefit Good Samaritan, The Bridge, Sorrowful Mother and Good Neighbor Food Pantries in Jasper County. The Round Up runs from Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, when customers across the Region can round up their purchase to the nearest dollar when shopping at their local Strack & Van Til store. Those extra funds will be donated to the organizations.

The need in our communities has never been greater. In Lake and Porter Counties alone, an average of 60,000 people each month rely on the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana for access to nutritious meals. Food Bank President and CEO Victor Garcia notes that they are on track to hit a record of distributing 10 million-11 million pounds of food this year.

“The Checkout Challenge is a powerful example of what can happen when a community-centered partner like Strack & Van Til gives people an easy way to help their neighbors,” says Garcia. “The need for food assistance across Northwest Indiana continues to be incredibly high, and every gift made at the register adds up to real impact for families in our community. We are deeply grateful to Strack & Van Til, their associates and their many customers for continuing to stand alongside the Food Bank and the neighbors we serve.”

Since 1982, the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana has been helping neighbors facing food insecurity, providing groceries each year to families, children, seniors and individuals across Lake and Porter Counties. Vice President of Operations & Community Impact Tricia Sheakssays each month more than 2,000 senior citizens living at 130% of the poverty level or below receive nutritious meals from the food bank.

“The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana responds to what the community needs in any given moment. We leverage resources like food donations and salvage food from retailers, wholesalers and farmers that would otherwise go to waste,” says Sheaks.

Jim Kidd, founder/director at The Bridge Food Pantry in Renssalaer, says it serves an average of 275 people per month, including about 115 children and 40 families older than 65. Proceeds from the Strack & Van Til Jasper County Round Up will help purchase meat for recipients.

“We love Strack & Van Til for what they give us,” says Kidd. “With the Checkout Challenge Round Up, Strack & Van Til is stepping up to help the community and blessing us with what is extra. Then we pass along that blessing.”

Good Samaritan Food Pantry in Rensselaer serves more than 190 families each month, helping approximately 700 people, including 275 children. That’s up considerably from 2024, when the pantry assisted an average of 135 families per month. With inflation and rising utility costs continuing to strain household budgets, the organization expects such demand to continue throughout the winter.

“The money raised from the Round Up will be used to purchase food items including cereal, bread, peanut butter, soups and other pantry staples that keep our families fed,” says President Jeremy Crews.

The Sorrowful Mother Food Pantry, which is part of the North Newton Jasper Pastorate and associated with Sorrowful Mother Parish, addresses the food needs of 125-135 families each week. Food Pantry Director Dawn Kearney notes that most recipients are elderly who live alone.

“Our food pantry helps bridge the hunger gap for this community,” says Kearney. “The Strack & Van Til Checkout Challenge Round Up is extremely helpful as it generates funds for us to purchase the food to feed them.”

The Good Neighbor Food Pantry in DeMotte helps local families access free groceries and fresh produce. According to Katie Kimberling, who helps run the pantry, it serves about 100 families each month and continues to see growing demand for food assistance.

Proceeds from the Strack & Van Til Checkout Challenge will help provide more food for neighbors in need.

“We are very thankful to Strack & Van Til for supporting us throughout the years,” Kimberling says.

Strack & Van Til continues its more than 97-year tradition of philanthropy by raising funds through the Checkout Challenge Round Up program to help organizations in the communities it serves throughout Northwest Indiana.

President Jeff Strack credits customer generosity and employee commitment for the success of the Checkout Challenge Round Ups.

“Giving back to the communities we serve is just naturally a part of Strack & Van Til’s culture. We are incredibly grateful to our customers who contribute to these Round Up campaigns and make a difference in the lives of so many people,” Strack says. “Our customers are the best. They are the ones who give back to the community. Our stores, with the help of our employees, simply provide our customers with an outlet to donate to some of their favorite local organizations.”

Take part in Strack & Van Til’s current Checkout Challenge Round Up and support the area food providers. To donate to or to volunteer with the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, check out foodbanknwi.org. Information on Good Samaritan Food Pantry can be found at gsfprensselaer.org and details on The Bridge Food Pantry are located at thebridgefoodpantry.com. For more on Sorrowful Mother Food Pantry, visit sorrowfulmotherwheatfield.org/food-pantry and find all you need to know about Good Neighbor Food Pantry at facebook.com/groups/469843773622402/.

To learn more about Strack & Van Til’s community involvement, visit strackandvantil.com/community.