New $2 million in funding for Indiana food banks was recently granted by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.

As the spring showers ebb, the growing season brings about a new set of challenges for food insecure families.

On the near east side of Indianapolis, Brookside School 54 students squared off in a competition against a chef on Thursday to see who could make the tastiest nutritious snack. It’s part of a partnership between the Indianapolis Public Schools district and insurance company Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to provide cooking and nutrition education.

A new program at IU Health Methodist Hospital hopes to address nutrition insecurity in downtown Indianapolis.

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture announced last week state food banks will receive $2 million in funding from the legislature.

The food pantry is open 18 hours per calendar week and serves approximately 3,653 families from Marion and surrounding donut counties, said Paul Ainslie, president of the Indianapolis Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

The same pressures bringing people to their doors are making it more difficult for food banks to operate.

According to a study from the College & University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA), nearly 30 percent of students across the country experience food insecurity while on campus.

Immigrants in Indianapolis are relying on local food pantries during the pandemic to help stock shelves with different options.

St. Vincent de Paul Boulevard Place Food Pantry will double the size of its building, at 42nd Street. It will also receive renovations. The pantry saw an estimated 30 percent increase in out-of-boundary shoppers during the COVID-19 crisis -- people living outside their typically serviced neighborhoods.