January brings added financial pressure for households across Gary and Northwest Indiana, as heating costs rise and grocery prices remain elevated. Food insecurity continues to affect a significant share of people in the region. Nearly 1 in 7 residents in the region experience food insecurity, according to the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. Late last […]
Community
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Where to Find Free Food, Holiday Hams in Northwest Indiana This December
In Gary and across Northwest Indiana, cost and access remain two of the biggest obstacles standing between families and a healthy meal. Nearly 1 in 7 residents in the region experience food insecurity, according to the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. Amid recent federal shutdown-related disruptions to nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance […]
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Inside Gary’s New YMCA: Upcoming Features and Programs
The Tolleston neighborhood is one step closer to welcoming its new community hub as construction continues on Gary’s new YMCA campus Gary’s new YMCA is taking shape, with construction moving steadily toward a planned September 2026 opening and several newly confirmed amenities and youth programs now taking form in the Tolleston neighborhood. Construction has reached […]
Posted inCommunity, Events
Gary Thanksgiving Food Drives: Where Families Can Get Meals This Year
Thanksgiving is a time of family, community, and giving thanks. Community members and organizations throughout Gary are hosting food drives and free plate giveaways to ensure residents have access to a meal this holiday season and to alleviate stress on community members experiencing food insecurity. Nearly 38% of Gary residents rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance […]
Posted inCommunity, Politics & Policy
Gary Launches Emergency Food Plan as SNAP Reductions Hit Residents
With Indiana preparing to issue only partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for November due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, Gary Mayor Eddie Melton announced Monday a sweeping local relief effort to protect families from going hungry. The city’s “Gary SNAPS Into Action” plan is a $275,000 emergency response package combining city funds, corporate […]
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Nearly 2 in 5 Gary Residents Rely on SNAP. What Happens If Payments Stop?
With federal food aid in flux, organizations and residents across Gary and Northwest Indiana are stepping up to make sure their neighbors don’t go hungry. Among them is the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, where volunteers and staff are preparing for what could be one of their busiest months in years. Victor Garcia, the organization’s […]
Posted inCommunity, Youth
How Two Gary Teens Are Growing Their Own Food and Changing Their Community
A chill fall breeze drifted through the Brothers’ Keepers garden as community members moved slowly between batches of kale, mint, and herbs, checking what was still thriving in the cool air. Among them were teenage sisters Anna and Juda Mosley, clipping leaves to take home after a long afternoon of work. At 13 and 16, […]
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Where to Get Free Food in Gary and Northwest Indiana as SNAP Benefits Face Cuts
In Gary and Northwest Indiana, the struggle to put healthy food on the table often comes down to cost and access. A weekly mobile market is trying to change that, bringing fresh produce and protein to neighborhoods where nutritious options are often out of reach. As federal programs like SNAP and WIC face uncertainty, local […]
Posted inCommunity, History, Politics & Policy
Gary Renames Grant Street in Honor of Former Mayor Richard Hatcher
A partly cloudy sky Monday could do nothing to damper the beaming pride of a city as it honored one of its brightest stars, former Mayor Richard G. Hatcher, with a rechristening of Grant Street as Richard Gordon Hatcher Boulevard. Gary Mayor Eddie Melton — just the seventh mayor since Hatcher — recalled seeking the […]
Posted inArts, Events
2025 Gary International Black Film Festival Guide: House Party, Panels, and Food
The Gary International Black Film Festival returns for its 15th year Oct. 9-12 at Indiana University Northwest, bringing more than 40 films, panel discussions, and cultural events to the city. Continuing its tradition of bringing filmmakers to Gary, the festival will feature films from local, regional, and international filmmakers that tell stories across the diaspora. […]