Julie Drake drives her parents to God’s Bounty Food Pantry twice a month on Thursdays, but their trips are about more than just food.
“My dad is 90 and my mom is 85, the pantry gives them some place to go besides the doctor,” Drake said. “It gives them something to look forward to, a way to get out of the house for a little while.”
But that’s just an added benefit of their visits to the drive-thru pantry in Franklin Township. Drake said her parents are on a fixed income. They’ve been setting money aside to renovate their home near Beech Grove and make it more accessible.
“The bathrooms are a necessity because my mom’s mobility issues are making it very, very hard for her to shower,” Drake said. “So, we’re putting handicap facilities in one of the bathrooms.”
God’s Bounty, a nonprofit food pantry on the southeast side of Indianapolis, serves an average of 120 southsiders each day it is open.
God’s Bounty Food Pantry
🗓️ First through fourth Thursdays, 1-6:30 p.m.
📍 8946 Southeastern Ave.
It operates from a small red brick building next door to New Bethel Baptist Church, which previously housed the church’s clergy. About 15 years ago, over half a dozen congregations in Franklin Township came together to outfit the parsonage to store food and support their community.
Kathy Gries, who has volunteered at the pantry since it first opened, said many people are on the edge of food insecurity.
“So, this is a way to help them out,” Gries said.
Meeting a need
The pantry’s grocery distribution system flows through an assembly line, staffed by around 50 volunteers who work 2-hour shifts over the course of the day. When residents pull into the drive-thru, a volunteer provides them with a form to fill out. With descriptions in both English and Spanish, it allows residents to specify which items they want, while preventing families from taking food they don’t want that could go to waste.
Numbered placards, matching the number on the family’s order form, are placed under the windshield wiper. As vehicles move through the line, volunteers pack up the desired groceries and slide the box down a conveyor belt so other volunteers can place it in the trunk of a resident’s car.
Debra Burke, director of God’s Bounty, said the pantry developed the system during the COVID-19 pandemic and it stuck. Nearly two decades ago, Burke found herself turning to food pantries like the clients she now serves. She was raising two kids by herself while battling kidney cancer and was just trying to make ends meet. Now, she’s adamant that no one leaves hungry.
“I left with a half a gallon of frozen milk and four dented canned goods because everyone else had been through the line,” Burke said.
Although God’s Bounty serves everyone in need, it can be a challenge.
Marion County has about 200 food pantries, and of those, a quarter are on the south side. And some of them come with barriers. Some only operate in the morning, which can be inaccessible for adults who work during the day; others are only open a few times a month, which can strain a family’s resources; and others have a waitlist, forcing residents to seek help elsewhere.
Volunteers Bob and Kathy Gries, Vicki Dwenger, and Sherry and Carter Elder prepare food orders at God’s Bounty pantry on April 23, 2026, in Wanamaker. God’s Bounty is located in the building that previously had been the parsonage of New Bethel Baptist Church.
Wilma Rettig has been driving through God’s Bounty since a friend recommended it to her roughly a year and a half ago. She said it’s made it a lot easier to live as grocery prices rise. Plus, she feels safe compared to some of the other pantries she’s visited.
“You never hear of any violence or anything like that,” Rettig said. “Some of the other ones, people want to cut in front of you, it just kind of gets scary. But they’re wonderful here, everyone’s nice and friendly.”
In order to receive donations twice a month, residents must show proof of address and reside in Franklin Township or nearby zip codes: 46239, 46259, 46237, 46203 east of Emerson Avenue and south of Washington Street, 46229 south of Washington Street and west of County Line Road and Triton Central School District.
Donations
Franklin Township is home to over 66,700 people, according to a 2024 census report. About 7% of residents are below the poverty line, which is about half the rate of the rest of the county. Still, Burke said she sees a growing need for assistance and is constantly asking people for donations.
“You’re not helping me, you’re helping your neighbor,” Burke said. “It is not a church, it’s not a person, it’s not a corporation. It is a neighbor.”
Community members can support the pantry by placing non-perishable food items in a box on the front porch of God’s Bounty. The building is open 6-7 p.m. Wednesdays to drop off perishable and non-perishable donations.
Grocery shoppers can also provide a $10 donation, which is matched when they select a Simply Give card at Meijer, 5325 E. Southport Road. The store will double match each donation on June 20, up to a maximum $10,000 donation from Meijer.
The pantry will also host Take Care of Yourself Takeaways, which will allow residents to select free kitchen supplies, clothes and other household items from 8 a.m. to noon on May 23.
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Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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