NEW PALESTINE — Jack and Jackie Williams really need more peanut butter.
Several cups of fruit would be helpful, too.
The New Palestine couple spends several hours each week assembling and distributing bags of non-perishable food and snacks that are distributed to those in need — from children whose parents are detained by police to the homeless asking for food at street intersections.
The Williamses are working with a small group of people they met while volunteering for Changing Footprints, a Greenfield-based organization devoted to collecting footwear for those in need.
“Matthew 25 says to take care of others, so that’s what we feel called to do,” said Jack Williams, 72, who spends much of his time coordinating donations of food, shoes and other supplies.
He and his wife connect with local churches, food pantries and law enforcement agencies to supply them with the emergency food bags that can be handed out to those in need, whenever that need may present itself.
“We have probably given out 1,100 to 1,200 bags in the last two years,” Williams said.
The snack packs focus on high-protein foods that are easy to open and non-perishable, stuffed inside one-gallon plastic bags.
While 85% to 90% of the food used is donated, the small band of volunteers chip in the rest. But the need is outgrowing the means.
“My wife and I see this thing just exploding. There’s a need everywhere,” Williams said.
Field officer Dan Devoy of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department has given a few bags to children whose parents have been detained. “You give them a bag to tear into and it keeps them occupied and gets them fed. It helps immensely,” said Devoy, who has also distributed a few bags to hungry families stranded when Interstate 70 closes down.
“They don’t see it coming. They’re thrilled,” he said.
Michelle Jones, who works the front desk at the Cumberland Police Department, said officers have given bags to the homeless living in the area, or those who come into the office in search of food.
Williams said the law enforcement officers he’s worked with have used the bags in all sorts of situations.
“We’ve had some tell us they’ve given them to people traveling across the country and they run out of gas, and they have no money and their kids need something to eat,” he said.
“There was one situation where the police officer was called on a domestic run and the mom and pop were hauled off to jail, and a 6-year-old and 10-year-old boy were left at home with nothing to eat. The officer said ‘when did you last eat’ and they said ‘a day and a half ago.’ There was nothing in the cabinets. When the officer opened up the refrigerator, they gagged. It was just nasty,” Williams recalled.
“The boys dug right into the peanut butter with their fingers. The young officer on the scene told was almost in tears when she told me, ‘I just want you to know how much these food bags mean.’”
Williams, a former chemist and trainer for Eli Lilly & Co., and his wife, a former nurse, feel blessed to have been able to retire in their 50s and spend much of their free time serving others.
They can often be found networking with local churches and food pantries, and assembling emergency food bags on their dining room table.
As they see the need for food and clothing grow in and around Hancock County, they’re seeking ways to build their network of support.
“We’d be happy to have the help of local sororities and civic organizations who want to help, or anyone who wants to help us with grants,” said Williams. “If another group wants to take off and collect donations on their own, I’m happy to give them some of my contacts.”
Most of the food bags they assemble are given to Indianapolis Police Department officers, who distribute the bags to those they encounter on their beats.
The couple also delivers bags to the food pantry at Carthage Community Christian Church, and are starting to work with contacts in Shirley and Knightstown, as well communities on the south side of Indianapolis like Southport and Greenwood.
They routinely take food bags to an inner-city church in Fountain Square, where people come in two to three times a week in search of food.
A number of the bags are delivered to students at George Washington High School in Indianapolis, where some kids have up to a two-hour commute to school, attend an after-school program, then face another long commute home.
“A lot of kids come from disenfranchised homes. Mom and Dad maybe aren’t there or are flipped out on drugs. We provide bags with Gatorade, protein bars, cookies and chips and things to help them out. That might be all they get to eat all evening,” Williams said.
“We’d like to go into Fortville and McCordsville and other parts of Hancock County, but we’re still getting connected,” he said.
He and his wife, who are members of Zion Lutheran Church in New Palestine, say their faith leads them to want to serve those who are less fortunate. They often leave several emergency food bags in the common area at their church, and encourage fellow parishioners to stash a few bags in their cars to give to people they see asking for food.
While they don’t do it for recognition, those who work with the Williamses have nothing but praise for the couple’s selfless generosity.
“Jack and Jackie are probably two of the nicest people in the world,” said Devoy.
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A New Palestine couple is among a small band of volunteers assembling emergency food bags for those in need.
The one-gallon bags typically include:
- 16-ounce jar of peanut butter
- 16-ounce bottle of water or Gatorade
- tuna or Vienna sausage pull-tab can
- three protein bars
- crackers
- non-perishable container of applesauce or other fruit
- candy bar
- utensils
- antibacterial cleansing cloth
Sixteen-ounce jars of peanut butter, individual cups of fruit, and Vienna sausages and tuna fish in pull-top cans are among the biggest needs.
Those who want to donate items or help assemble and deliver bags are encouraged to call Williams at 317-696-9338.
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