Programs
Backpack Program &
Cultivate Cares Food Network
Backpack Program
Mission
To provide healthy nutritious meals to students who face food insecurity and thereby improve their physical, academic, and social outcomes.



Program Impact
“I’ve had children, and now families, thank me (like I did something) for the food for the weekend. One mom was crying so she was happy. I had a little girl in second grade proudly take two bags home with her (we had extra) and she was so happy to be able to provide food for her family.”
–Barb Schmitt (Madison STEAM Academy)
School Partners
- South Bend Community Schools
- Success Academy
- Elkhart Community Schools
- Wa-Nee Community Schools
- Bremen Community Schools
- Plymouth Community Schools
- Marshall-Starke County Head Start
Sponsor A Backpack
Cultivate Cares Food Network
Mission
To efficiently rescue, source, and redistribute food items that are in high demand by food pantries, soup kitchens, and community organizations that serve food insecure individuals and families.
Pantry Partners
We partner with over 100 pantries, soup kitchens and community organizations across the 3 counties we serve. Below you will find a list of just a few of our pantry partners in each of the counties. If you are interested in becoming a pantry partner of Cultivate Food Rescue, please contact Bob Herbert at bobh@cultivatefoodrescue.com.
St. Joseph County
- AIDS Ministries
- Broadway Christian Parish
- Clay Church Food Pantry
- Hope Ministries
- La Casa de Amistad
- Mishawaka Food Pantry
- Near Northeast Neighborhood Center
- St. Augustine’s Parish Soup Kitchen
Elkhart County
- Church Community Services
- Faith Mission
- Family Christian Development Center
- Milford Food Bank
- Middlebury Community Food Pantry
Marshall County
- Bread of Life Community Food Pantry
- Marshall County Neighborhood Center
- Monastery of the Holy Martyrs
- Plymouth Baptist Church
Program Impact
“Cultivate has been so helpful to us during the last month making sure that we can continue to meet the need of feeding people in our community. Since the pandemic hit and we have been serving our hot lunches out the door Monday through Friday, Cultivate has been supplying us with milk, bread and other food surplus that has helped us serve close to 31,000 meals to women and children in our community!”
–St. Margaret’s House
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, it was extremely hard for us to get food through our normal channels. The stores we normally would purchase food from began to limit the number of items an individual could purchase as their own supply chain became questionable.
Our Clay Church Food Pantry has been incredibly blessed by our partnership with Cultivate Culinary. Cultivate has a tremendous heart for feeding all food insecure people in our community, from school children to senior citizens.”
–Sue Zumbrun (Clay Church Pantry)
St. Joseph County Food Pantry Map