INDIANAPOLIS — Community leaders, partners and neighbors gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the expanded food pantry at the Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center on Thursday morning.
The Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center provides employment and family and youth enrichment services to families on the west side. For the past three years, volunteers have set up a food pantry in the lobby.
A significant increase in pantry participation has driven this expansion to provide fresh food, produce, meat, dairy and other food items to families on the west side.
The market-style facility, at the corner of Morris Street and Belmont Avenue, gives families a chance to shop and choose foods to feed their families.
“This new pantry represents more than expanded space — it represents expanded hope,” said Heather Pease, president of Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center in a press release. “With refrigeration, more service days, and a broader selection of fresh food, we can increase choice and access to healthy options. When basic needs are met, families can focus on other goals.”
The building was purchased from the West Indianapolis Development Corporation, which took the money from the sale to increase access to affordable housing.
The pantry has merged resources with the recently closed Billie's Food Pantry on the west side. Since its official opening last week, Mary Rigg has welcomed more than 220 patrons.
“The pantry has been a lifeline for my family,” said Candy Miles, a long-time West Indianapolis resident and Mary Rigg client. “We rely on the pantry for items like meat, milk, and eggs, and sometimes those items ran out before we could get them. The refrigerators at the new pantry mean more fresh food. It feels like a place that truly cares for my family and my neighbors.”
Pantry visits in central Indiana have increased 27% in recent years, according to United Way Central Indiana, and are expected to rise again in 2026.
“Food insecurity continues to be one of the most pressing challenges facing Indianapolis families,” said Fred Glass, president & CEO of Gleaners Food Bank in a press release. “Partnerships like the one we share with Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center are essential to meeting families’ needs. This expanded pantry offers more fresh food, and more opportunities to serve. This will strengthen our collective impact and help more neighbors access the nourishment they deserve.”
The center received assistance from the United Way of Central Indiana, which provided a capacity grant.
The pantry is open on the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and all other Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. The pantry will also be open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon starting Feb. 16, and on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. starting March 2.
___
