IU Health grant supports Pantry 279

Members of IU Health and Pantry 279 gathered in Bloomington in February, to commemorate a $250,000 grant focused on helping this organization in their mission to help those in need.

The grant from IU Health will be given to Pantry 279 over three years to purchase equipment to increase services and variety of foods for patrons in Monroe and nearby counties during food delivery and pick up.

“We were very excited to partner with Pantry 279, and support them as they expanded the great work already being done, to a grander scale and audience,” said IU Health South Region President Denzil Ross. “Thank you for all you do to help those experiencing food insecurity, as well as your work in providing clothing and other resources to our communities.”

“Pantry 279 proudly served close to 118,000 people last year from 36 counties, and that’s just the food part of our organization,” said Pantry 279 Director Cindy Chavez. “Since our start in 2015, we’ve expanded both how many people we serve and what we offer, and the generosity of individuals and organizations in our communities are essential to our success.”
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The grants come from the $200 million Community Impact Investment Fund (CIIF), which is administered by Indiana University Health Foundation to address key social and environmental factors that impact people’s health outcomes. Yearly grants from the Foundation come from earnings on the fund’s invested capital.