Ivy Tech South Bend-Elkhart serves up food rescue program

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Ivy Tech Community College South Bend-Elkhart's highlights students, programs and community during "Ivy Tech Week."

One program under the spotlight in 2026 is Ivy Cares' partnership with Cultivate food rescue.

Jim Conklin, Executive Director for Cultivate, started the program in 2016. The not-for-profit recovers excess, quality food from community partners to repackage and redistribute to those in need.

Conklin says, "The country wastes about 50 million tons of food every year, and so there's so much food available and so much need, unfortunately. So, all we do is connect food to the people."

One of the ways Cultivate creates community connections, is through organizations on local campus, including Ivy Tech Community College South Bend-Elkhart.

Growing out of the college's Pod-7 initiative, the Cultivate partnership now falls under the Ivy Cares umbrella. Kayla Isenbletter, Director of Student Resources and Conduct at Ivy Tech, says, "Over the last year, we've distributed over 1000 meals to over 300 students."

Isenbletter has seen the students' needs grow over the year she's worked at the college saying, "In the little over a year that I've been here, our need has definitely increased. We have been asking the whole debate for meals more often, which they are. They're always super gracious about it again; they don't ask many questions. They're like you need it. Here it is."

Students can find freezers stocked with microwaveable meals in 3 locations on campus: the Ivy Care office, the Student Life Room, and in the Tech Wing.

The college looks to bridge the gaps for students whether it's in their education or in life. For student Olivia Hester, she's thankful Ivy Tech can help her focus on school by taking care of the food needs of her and her daughter, when needed.

Hester says, "I feel like they're really trying to make sure that your dignity as a human, as a student, as a mother, father, et cetera, as a young person, will be you'll be respected."

Isenbletter shares providing "yes'" are a matter of maintaining student dignity, saying, "A lot of times they run into things in places where they're told no, where they're told you don't qualify. You're just over. And so, they end up feeling bad that they can't provide for their basic needs. They can't provide for their family in the way that they want to. But when they come here, they can grab a frozen meal and they leave, and it doesn't have to be this big production."

If you're looking to learn more about the various programs Ivy Tech provides to battle student food insecurity, head to Ivy Tech's website.