Thursday evening saw Valparaiso amidst another round of rain, leaving many residents without power due to the recent storm. However, at Nana Clare’s Kitchen located on the city’s north side, operations continued uninterrupted. Volunteers were busy preparing meals, chopping vegetables, making tomato-topped bread, and packing green mac and cheese.

Michelle Danielewicz, a volunteer from Portage, was seen using her phone to correctly spell ‘ratatouille’ while labeling meals at Nana Clare’s Kitchen on August 13, 2026. This effort is part of a project led by Steph Talarek called Feed the Region.

About Feed the Region

Founded by Steph Talarek in January, Feed the Region began its meal distribution in February. It operates on donations and aims to secure nonprofit status. Talarek intends to expand services to Lake County and eventually cover a six-county area. The initiative focuses on providing free meals to anyone in need, regardless of their income or residency.

On Thursday, the goal was to offer over 300 meals, adapting to the specific challenge posed by the recent storm. The meals included floral arrangements donated from Chesterton’s community garden.

Talarek, dressed in a Feed the Region T-shirt, collaborates with her husband Adam Stranc, a scheduler for Cleveland Cliffs. Both have faced personal struggles, yet maintain a focus on giving back. Talarek states that it’s crucial to support the community, especially during difficult times.

“Once we figure it out, we give back, and everything seems to have gotten harder in the past year,” Talarek remarked.

Community Involvement

Normally, the effort assembles about 100 meals weekly with the help of a few volunteers. However, the recent storms necessitated a larger operation. Volunteers like Brenden Hess, Amy Hess, and Kelly Enderson worked diligently, preparing ‘ugly bread’ and packaging meals. Talarek encouraged community members to pick up meals for distribution via social media.

Volunteer Jody Gawthrop from Hobart praised Talarek’s social media outreach, having joined the initiative after discovering it on Facebook. She emphasized the inclusion and excitement about the delivery effort in progress.

Another volunteer, Carol Presdorf from Hobart, volunteered to support Talarek’s mission. Although she doesn’t cook, she assists with preparing dishes and cleaning. On Thursday, she helped with washing up, supporting the food preparation process that included pasta, bread, and anticipated chili.

Talarek mentions the importance of storing food for emergencies, with Nana Clare’s Kitchen’s freezer holding reserves that are now in use following the storm-related power outages.

For more details on Feed the Region, you can visit feedtheregion.org.