When a storm pummeled the electric grid and plunged much of northwest Indiana into darkness two weeks ago, Karen Simon was grateful she had a generator at her house to keep her refrigerator running so her food wouldn't spoil.
But unlike most people, she had another set of refrigerators to worry about — the commercial ones at the food pantry she coordinates at her parish, St. Mary of the Lake in Gary.
"I have two or three freezers full of meat. I have two refrigerators full of refrigerated items. Panic sets in, because I do not have a generator there," Simon told the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News.
Not having an alternative power source, Simon was able to secure alternative storage options for the food, allowing St. Mary's to continue serving the poor as some in the region enter their third week without electricity.
The outages began on Aug. 11, when 100 mph wind gusts and heavy rain blew through northwest Indiana and east Chicago. Numerous municipalities in northern Indiana including Gary, Portage, Lake Station, and Munster suffered widespread power outages, with as many as 400,000 customers affected at the peak.
Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) announced that power would be restored for nearly all of its customers in the area by Aug. 25. But more than 7,000 customers in Gary were without power for two weeks. The outages heavily affected the predominantly African American city of about 70,000 people, which has a poverty rate of about 33%, more than three times higher than the national average.
Indiana's Republican governor, Mike Braun, called for an investigation into NIPSCO over the lengthy outages.
'Trying to meet the need'
While conditions were extremely difficult, they also fostered solidarity.
When Simon was searching for alternative options for storing St. Mary's perishable food pantry items, she started calling around to other ministries around Gary that the Catholic food bank works alongside. Many of them were also struggling due to the lack of electricity, but a nearby Christian church that still had power offered to keep 100 containers of milk cold, while the local secular food bank was able to keep the meat frozen.
Last Saturday, the volunteers at St. Mary's loaded up their cars and distributed nonperishable food to 200 households in a local housing complex, including for several people with disabilities who were trapped with nonfunctioning elevators amid the blackout. Other parishes around Gary, along with local Knights of Columbus councils, also stepped up to offer food and other aid to their neighbors.
Bishop Robert McClory of the Diocese of Gary said in an Aug. 14 social media message that the trying times in the region are an "opportunity for us ... to be attentive to each other's needs, to check in on your neighbors."
"I know many of us have already experienced a certain solidarity coming together with our neighbors during this time of need," McClory continued. "Now is our opportunity to allow our Christian witness to shine forth. Know that you'll all be in my prayers, and as we work together to navigate through this, we trust in the Lord, and we seek, as St. Paul says, to bear each other's burdens."
Terry Seljan, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary, told the Register that while roughly 99% of those who had lost power have now had it restored, significant needs remain among residents recovering from the recent storms.
Many people had to throw away food from refrigerators and freezers and are seeking assistance to restock their food, he explained. Others whose sump pumps stopped working during the heavy rain lost appliances, mattresses, and other belongings due to water damage. Additionally, some people who were unable to work while local businesses were shut down are seeking help with rent, while others need building supplies to make home repairs they cannot afford to address through insurance.
Seljan said the organization is focusing primarily on providing financial assistance and is asking those who want to help to donate through its website.
Prayers are 'greatly appreciated'
With the help of roughly 60 regular volunteers, the St. Mary of the Lake pantry normally distributes mostly nonperishable food on the third Monday of each month. Normally at this time of year, the pantry serves about 155 households, or roughly 450 individuals.
Amid the power outages, St. Mary's also donated some 1,400 pounds of fresh produce grown at a massive community garden associated with the parish to the local fire station for further distribution.
Father Jayababu Nuthulapati, rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary and pastor of two other parishes, including St. Mary of the Lake, told the Register that prayers for their community are greatly appreciated.
"[The storm] was very devastating," he said, but "we never stopped feeding the poor."
"We continue doing that even in the difficult moments, because we want to be out there for the people. And I'm very grateful for the volunteers," Nuthulapati said.
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary have also been highly engaged, addressing the immediate and ongoing needs in the communities affected by the blackouts, including food, clothing, and housing assistance.
On Aug. 22, the Chicago Bears announced a donation of $100,000 to the Chicago and Gary Catholic Charities to help them in this work.
While St. Mary of the Lake's pantry is managing with the help of the wider community, the church is currently seeking the donation of a backup generator to protect the investment of its food in the case of another emergency like this, Nuthulapati added.
For Simon, the experience has been a heartwarming show of community cooperation and a chance to practice gratitude.
"Thank God that we have what we have," she said. "It could be worse. It could be a lot worse."
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
