FOX59, CBS4 Pack the Pantries raises $32,962 for hunger relief

FOX59 and CBS4’s spring Pack the Pantries drive raised $32,962 for Midwest Food Bank and Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, a total that shows how a clear ask, a recognizable local partner list and repeated on-air visibility can still move real money for hunger relief.

The campaign drew backing from Financial Center First Credit Union, Kroger, Speedway Subaru, the Indianapolis Indians and Pacers Sports & Entertainment. Donations were also accepted in person at Speedway Subaru, 1930 W. 16th St. in Indianapolis, giving viewers a concrete place to act instead of just another reminder to give.

For food banks, that kind of mid-five-figure haul lands inside an operation that is already under pressure. Gleaners reported that January 2024 was a record-breaking month, when it served more than 27,000 households in its drive-thru pantry onsite. It also said 1 in 8 Hoosiers in its 21-county service area were food insecure in 2024, and its 2024 Impact Report projected a record $7.7 million in food purchases. Gleaners listed 125 employees and 13,676 volunteers in that same report, underscoring how much staffing and volunteer coordination sits behind every pantry visit and every truckload of food.

Midwest Food Bank’s Indiana location, meanwhile, says it supports hunger relief across the state and works with nonprofits that feed children, seniors and families in need. Its broader network distributed $526 million worth of food and resources in 2024 and more than $4.5 billion since its founding in 2003. In practical terms, money raised in a drive like Pack the Pantries helps sustain the distribution machinery that keeps those partner agencies stocked.

The station’s Pack the Pantries page shows the spring effort was part of a recurring pattern, not a one-off appeal. A previous spring drive raised more than $35,000, and a Giving Tuesday edition brought in $135,670 for the same two food banks. FOX59 and CBS4 also leaned on visible, offbeat promotions, including silly string and dance challenges, to keep the campaign in front of viewers long enough to convert attention into donations.

That is the part A Simple Gesture chapters can use. The green bag model works best when the story is simple, the local need is named, and the action is easy to repeat. A Simple Gesture describes its program as near zero-cost, says a $1 donation converts to more than $30 of food going to food banks and pantries, and runs its Green Bag drive year-round with bi-monthly pickup. Pack the Pantries reinforces the same lesson: recurring hunger relief grows faster when media attention is tied to a clear donation path and a real operating partner on the receiving end.