Valparaiso resident Teresa Smith has changed the way she shops for food in the aftermath of the Aug. 11 derecho that smashed through the region.
“My power was out for 11 days. I lost all the food I had,” said the Blackhawk Beach resident. “I live alone. I’m on Medicare. I couldn’t get gas to get anywhere to charge my phone. I couldn’t get ice anywhere.”
Volunteer Donna Cummins hands bagged dinners to volunteer manager Faith Evers during the Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana storm relief meal distribution event at Porter County Aging & Community Services in Valparaiso, Indiana, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. The event offered 200 meals and vegetables in the wake of the early August storms. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
Bella Quintero, 10, looks on as her mother Rita pulls fresh vegetables during the Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana storm relief meal distribution event at Porter County Aging & Community Services in Valparaiso, Indiana, Tuesday, September, 22, 2026. The event offered 200 meals and vegetables in the wake of the early August storms. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
Diana Iltzsche, left, smiles as volunteer Kathy Micka, center, and volunteer manager Faith Evers carry boxes of food to her car during the Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana storm relief meal distribution event at Porter County Aging & Community Services in Valparaiso, Indiana, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Iltzsche planned to take the food to assist people living in Gary. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
Volunteers Michelle Richardson, left, and Kathy Page chat while bagging dinners during the Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana storm relief meal distribution event at Porter County Aging & Community Services in Valparaiso, Indiana, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Richardson has volunteered for more than 4 years and Page has logged more than 6 years at Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
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Volunteer Donna Cummins hands bagged dinners to volunteer manager Faith Evers during the Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana storm relief meal distribution event at Porter County Aging & Community Services in Valparaiso, Indiana, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. The event offered 200 meals and vegetables in the wake of the early August storms. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
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She appreciated the free meal distribution put on Tuesday afternoon by Porter County Aging & Community Services and Meals on Wheels Northwest Indiana. Smith was the first in line to collect the bundles of five frozen meals, as well as snacks, oatmeal, and produce the groups handed out from 3 to 6 p.m.
Behind her in line, Dotti Clifford, also of Valparaiso, said some good came out of the devastating storm – namely the humanity people showed to each other. Her daughter, who lives in Chesterton, was scrambling to buy a generator from a neighboring state when they got some good news.
“They buy meat a year-and-a-half at a time,” Clifford said. “They found out that their next-door neighbor had a generator and they shared it.
“Everybody was helping each other. They’ve had four block parties now.”
Selena and Ruben Niaves, husband and wife from Portage, have been part of that neighborly spirit as well.
Ruben and Selena Niaves comfort their son Anastacio, 2, while waiting in line for the Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana storm relief meal distribution event at Porter County Aging & Community Services in Valparaiso, Indiana, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. The couple travelled from Portage to get meals, vegetables and other supplies. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
“We were actually two or three streets away from that house that blew up,” Ruben said. “None of the police officers, none of the firefighters, they couldn’t get there because of the trees. We ended up clearing about two houses,” he said of the efforts he and a neighbor put forth to help some elderly neighbors trapped in their houses.
And that was with a boot on his foot. “It’s real unfortunate timing. I was just in a motorcycle accident. I broke my foot.” The boot is off now, but he’s still off work and going to physical therapy.
He and his wife learned about the giveaway on Facebook and brought along their 2-year-old, Anastacio. “We were out of power for nine or 10 days. It was really hard,” Ruben said.
Faith Evers, volunteer manager with Meals on Wheels, said they had 1,000 meals funded by NiSource Foundation and administered by the Porter County Foundation to hand out. There will be another event from 3 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at NorthShore Health Centers, 6050 Sterling Creek Rd. in Portage.
There’s been “a lot of heartbreak” in the storm’s aftermath, according to Valerie Martinez, marketing and resource director with PCACS. “A lot of people are saying that their insurance companies aren’t paying for everything,” Martinez said of the community she serves.
One mom told Martinez her family is living with mold on the walls and on the children’s pillows and bedding. “She said the insurance will not pay for anything, and when you’re on a fixed income, it’s kind of hard to go out and replace everything.”
She said her organization will have a few more events like the food giveaway to help out, and folks should look on the PCACS Facebook page and social media of other local service agencies for details to come.
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Dining and Cooking