09/03/2026
Neighbors Helping Neighbors: IU Northwest Dining Team Steps Up After Devastating Northwest Indiana Storm
A historic and devastating storm swept across Northwest Indiana on Tuesday, August 10, bringing wind speeds exceeding 100 mph, confirmed tornadoes, widespread property damage, flooding, and the largest power outage in NIPSCO history. In Gary, many residents were left without power for more than 15 days.
Lucero Martinez-Donato, Creative Dining Services Food Service Director at Indiana University Northwest, experienced the storm firsthand and understood the fear and uncertainty many community members faced in the aftermath. Knowing how difficult it was for residents to go without power for so long, she felt compelled to find a way to help.
Lucero and her dining team at Indiana University Northwest reached out to local organizations to find a way to assist those in need. That search led her to World Central Kitchen (WCK).
World Central Kitchen is a nonprofit organization that responds to humanitarian, climate, and community crises by providing nourishing meals to people affected by disasters. Through this partnership, the Indiana University Northwest dining team supplied food to people in the community who needed support.
The team prepared and served full-course, home-cooked meals to Gary residents the following week, while continuing to operate the kitchen full-time to serve students.
For Lucero and her team, the effort was about more than providing meals—it was about supporting their community during an incredibly challenging time and using the resources they had available to make a meaningful difference.
