New App to Help Ease Indy Hunger

One out of five Indianapolis residents face food insecurity. (stock image courtesy: Pixabay/Leroy Skalstag)

Indianapolis residents who struggle to make ends meet and put healthy food on the table have a new resource.

A coalition of community leaders and advocates announced Tuesday the launch of Community Compass, a multi-platform tool to help connect Indy residents with food resources and nutrition assistance.

The app helps users find food pantries, farmers’ markets and hot meal sites.

The technology will also help residents navigate a variety of nutrition assistance programs, such as the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs.

According to Indy Hunger Network’s 2017 Unmet Need Study, food insecurity affects one out of every five people in Indianapolis. The study also found people were not using food pantries because they didn’t know how to find them. It also found individuals and families were not enrolling for SNAP/WIC benefits because they weren’t sure if they qualified.

“Community Compass will help close the meal gap in our city by connecting people to information about both government and charitable programs that can help them access more nutritious food for their families,” said Kate Howe, Managing Director at Indy Hunger Network.

Last year, the City-County Council approved funding for food programs, like Community Compass. The Office of Public Health and Safety helped oversee the development of the app.

 “When innovation meets investment, the city of Indianapolis can truly provide food assistance and critical resources to our neighbors in need,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Community Compass provides a convenient and accessible navigation tool that provides immediate hunger relief to our communities that experience food insecurities.”  

The Community Compass app is available in the App Store on iPhone and Google Play on Android. People can call (317) 434-3758 to get information.