Community Unites to Provide Free Meals After Storm

During a rainy Thursday evening, much of Valparaiso was still experiencing power outages after a severe storm earlier in the week. At Nana Clare’s Kitchen, however, the lights were on. Volunteers were busy preparing food for those in need. They chopped vegetables, prepared tomato-topped bread, and packed green mac and cheese into containers.

Michelle Danielewicz, a Feed the Region volunteer from Portage, used her phone to find the correct spelling of ‘ratatouille.’ She labeled meals at Nana Clare’s Kitchen in Valparaiso, Indiana. The initiative, founded by Steph Talarek from Porter, aims to provide free meals. Established in January, Feed the Region began meal distribution in February and operates on donations. Talarek hopes to register as a nonprofit soon. The focus remains on delivering meals to anyone in need, regardless of their background.

The team is considering expanding into Lake County and possibly offering meals throughout a six-county area. On this particular Thursday, they prepared over 300 meals to meet the immediate needs after the storm. Around 20 people assisted at Nana Clare’s to prepare and distribute meals. Recipients could also receive small vases of flowers from Chesterton’s community garden.

“This has always been in the back of our head,” Talarek remarked. The software industry professional and her husband, Adam Stranc, who works at Cleveland Cliffs, considered themselves fortunate despite past struggles. “Once we figure it out, we give back,” Talarek shared.

Feed the Region typically serves about 100 meals every Thursday with around six to eight volunteers. Talarek, originally from DeMotte, previously provided sandwiches and drinks in Wheatfield post-tornado, which turned out unnecessary. The meal event in Valparaiso, however, was storm-specific due to the power outage.

Brenden Hess and others added olive oil to ‘ugly bread.’ The volunteers usually prepare 100 meals but increased the number due to the storm. Talarek also used social media effectively to promote meal pickup. One participant planned to collect 15 meals to distribute to others.

Jody Gawthrop from Hobart got involved after seeing Feed the Region’s mission on Facebook. She appreciated the initiative’s inclusivity and distribution efforts.

Amy Hess and her son, Brenden, 10, were among those wrapping ‘ugly bread’ for deliveries. Brenden, who attends Cooks Corners Elementary School, enjoys helping and sees it as a way to improve his cooking skills. He expressed interest in running a lemonade stand to raise funds for the initiative.

Carol Presdorf from Hobart, another volunteer, contributed by cutting vegetables and helping with clean-up. She valued supporting Talarek’s important mission.

The volunteers planned to prepare chili alongside the pasta and bread. Ingredients like canned beans lined the kitchen counter, highlighting the team’s preparation. Talarek noted they had stocked food sustainably, using their working freezer during the storm.

For more details about Feed the Region, visit www.feedtheregion.org.