On August 23, 2026, World Central Kitchen, working with local utility NIPSCO, handed out free meals to residents of Gary, Indiana, as the city continued to grapple with widespread power outages after a severe storm swept through northwest Indiana. The collaboration aimed to provide immediate nourishment to people whose homes and neighborhoods were still without electricity and who were dealing with the aftermath of the weather event.
The storm that hit the region earlier in the week knocked down power lines and left large sections of the northwest Indiana grid offline. Emergency crews have been restoring service, but many households remained in the dark, limiting access to basic comforts such as cooking facilities. In response, World Central Kitchen mobilized its disaster‑relief teams to set up temporary distribution sites in Gary, where volunteers handed out meals at no cost to anyone in need.
NIPSCO, the area’s electric provider, coordinated with the charity to identify neighborhoods most affected by the outages and to help transport the food to the distribution points. The joint effort was part of a broader disaster‑relief operation that includes shelter, water distribution and the repair of damaged infrastructure. By supplying meals, the partners hoped to ease the burden on families facing prolonged power loss and to support the community’s overall recovery.
Officials said the free‑meal program will continue as long as power restoration remains incomplete and as additional residents seek assistance. The presence of World Central Kitchen and NIPSCO in Gary underscores the role of nonprofit and utility collaborations in addressing immediate needs during emergency situations, while longer‑term rebuilding efforts move forward throughout northwest Indiana.