INDIANAPOLIS — Second Helpings, the Indianapolis nonprofit that rescues surplus food from restaurants, caterers, and food businesses and converts it into nutritious meals, recovered a record 4.2 million pounds of food in 2024 — enough to produce more than 3.5 million meals for Indianapolis residents experiencing hunger.

The organization, founded in 1998 on the Near Eastside, now operates one of the largest food rescue programs in the Midwest. Its network of daily food rescue routes collects perishable donations from more than 250 food industry donors, including restaurants, hotels, corporate cafeterias, food manufacturers, and grocery stores.

"Food waste is a crisis and food insecurity is a crisis, and Second Helpings sits at the intersection of both," said Executive Director Jennifer Vigran. "The record we set in 2024 reflects the generosity of our donor network and the extraordinary effort of our volunteers."

The organization also operates a culinary job training program that has graduated more than 2,300 students since its founding, providing professional cooking skills to adults with barriers to employment. Graduates have secured positions at Indianapolis restaurants, hospitals, catering companies, and institutional food service operations across the state.

New Facility Plans

Second Helpings announced plans to break ground this year on a new 35,000-square-foot facility on the Near Eastside that will double the organization's food rescue capacity. The $14 million project includes a larger commercial kitchen, expanded cold storage, and a new training facility for culinary students.

The capital campaign, which has raised $10.7 million toward its $14 million goal, received a $2 million lead gift from Eli Lilly and Company and significant contributions from the Christel House Foundation and the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.