It was day three of the four-day Home & Garden Show at Porter County Expo Center. Hundreds of visitors to the show donated nonperishable food products as they entered the Expo Center. Kevin Feldman, Resource Development Director for Housing Opportunities, Inc. managed the food drive during the event. “This is one way that many people can make a small donation and collectively make a huge difference,” Kevin said. “There are growing numbers of families in Porter County who live day-to-day and are forced to make decisions about forgoing a house payment in order to feed their children. By providing them food and other needed products, we can give families some breathing room.”
ALDI, Inc. stopped by the Home & Garden Show to make a significant donation of food and other necessary items. Wendy Mang is the real estate assistant at ALDI's regional distribution center. “Housing Opportunities meets the needs of the Homeless in Porter and LaPorte Counties. ALDI is always looking for ways that it can give back to the community. So when Kevin called me to ask if ALDI would donate some of the needed products that food stamps won’t cover, we were more than happy to meet that need,” Wendy said. Besides canned tuna and pasta sauce, ALDI donated cases of laundry detergent and toilet paper – two of the items needed most.
Housing Opportunities, Inc. provides many services to homeless families, and those at risk of homelessness. In Porter and LaPorte Counties, Housing Opportunities owns 122 apartments and houses used for emergency, transitional, and low-income housing for families in need. HO’s food pantry provides nutritious foods, paper products and soaps to hundreds of needy families each month.
For more information about Housing Opportunities, Inc, homelessness in Northwest Indiana, and how you can help, please contact Kevin Feldman, Resource Development Director at (219) 252-5379, or visit HO’s website at www.housing-opportunities.com.
Photo: Wendy Mang of ALDI hands some of the donated products to Brad Sweet, VP Strategic Planning & Operations Support with NIPSCO and Housing Opportunities Board member.