POSITIVE CHANGE

In 2016, Bloomingfoods introduced our Positive Change register roundup program as a community-driven fundraising campaign that offers shoppers the opportunity to round their purchase to the nearest dollar, or donate more if they wish. It is so incredibly inspiring to see how small change can make such a big impact!

We are accepting applications for our 2027 Positive Change Program, January 1st, 2026, through August 1st, 2026.

The Positive Change candidates are voted on each year by our owner-members during our annual election. Once the election is finished and organizations have been chosen, organizations are assigned months based on average sales during each month and the number of votes received. Organizations with the most votes will be placed in the months with the highest sales.

For more information about our Positive Change program qualifications and how to apply, please visit https://www.bloomingfoods.coop/positive-change-application or click the button below.

Learn more!

Hoosier Hills team member holds our Positive Change check for Hoosier Hills Food Bank — Our shoppers raised $10,551.85 for Hoosier Hills Food Bank in 2025!

Pantry 279 volunteers pose with our Positive Change check — Our shoppers raised $11,082.28 for Pantry 279 in 2025!

Our shoppers raised $10,201.10 for Friends of the Library in 2025!

2026 Positive Change Recipients

January – Beacon, Inc.: Beacon is the largest nonprofit housing provider in Monroe County, with five programs to assist those experiencing extreme poverty, hunger, and homelessness. Funds would be used to support all five programs to assist people throughout their entire journey, either in their first moment of crisis, after years of experiencing homelessness, or anywhere in between. Their programs range from providing nutritious meals and casework to overnight shelter and emergency housing. Beacon serves hundreds of people each day, thousands of people each year, and funding would be used to ensure that each client is being supported with a well-rounded approach to address all of their needs.

February – Monroe County CASA: Monroe County CASA currently has 70 children on the waiting list. The desperately needed money will be used to recruit and train more CASA advocates who will represent the child's interest at home and in the court.

March – Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard: MHC increases access to healthy food in a way that cultivates dignity, agency, and community. Donations will go towards fulfilling their mission to battle food insecurity in our community.

April – Bloomington Meals on Wheels: Bloomington Meals on Wheels provides medically-tailored meals to Bloomington residents who are unable to prepare nutritious meals due to chronic illness, serious disability, or advanced age. Volunteers deliver two prepared meals, one hot and one cold, over lunchtime each day, Monday through Friday. Funds raised will provide meals for 40% of their recipients who cannot afford the $12 per day fee. $10,000 would provide 2,000 meals for your Bloomington neighbors.

May – Area 10 Agency on Aging: Positive Change rewards will directly benefit the Mobile Food Pantry, which delivers supplemental groceries to home-bound individuals, including fresh produce from our Area 10 raised garden. Area 10 reaches over 300 individuals monthly through this service and serves over 3,400 through all Area 10 services. Area 10 also uses the support for providing emergency food services, both grocery and home delivered, whenever needed.

June – New Hope Family Shelter: New Hope for Families is a community leader in social services for families in crisis. It administers one of the state’s most successful emergency shelter programs, keeping families together and equipping them to progress into stable housing, and offers a vibrant, high-quality early learning program that gives children the good start they deserve and nurtures advantages that last a lifetime. Increased food costs have significantly impacted New Hope and the clients they serve. Funds received from Bloomingfoods' Positive Change program will help provide meals and nutritious snacks for more than 50 children ages birth to 5 at the Early Learning Center, and will also support New Hope’s acclaimed “Plot to Tot” education program. “Plot to Tot” encourages young children to develop positive attitudes toward healthy foods, through age-appropriate gardening experiences and menus emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables.

July – Habitat for Humanity - Monroe County: Since 1988, Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County (HFHMC) has been committed to building and sustaining affordable homeownership opportunities with local families and individuals. All families in the program qualify with a need for housing, the ability to pay back an affordable mortgage, and a willingness to partner with Habitat by volunteering at least 250 hours of "sweat equity" through homeowner readiness classes, volunteering at the Habitat ReStore, and building their neighbors' and their own homes. HFHMC is currently building homes in its third neighborhood, Osage Place, and the funds raised through the Positive Change program will be used to purchase the materials needed to build a future home in the neighborhood. Habitat builds more than houses - they help build safety, stability, generational wealth, independence, and community.

August – Exodus Refugee Immigration: Exodus will use Positive Change funds to support resources and services needed to aid its clients to make a successful transition to life in the United States. Now, as Exodus enters a time when new refugees are not entering the country and immigration policy changes almost daily, Exodus is working to support refugees who have arrived in Bloomington, Indiana in the last five years. Funding will allow the Exodus to provide direct assistance to refugees in the form of housing assistance and associated basic needs, such as food, clothing, medicine, etc., for newly arriving refugees. Additionally, funding will assist Exodus to provide refugees with case management, mental health services, employment assistance, and self-sufficiency services. Grant funding will help refugees to achieve a measure of security and focus on larger self-sufficiency goals, such as obtaining employment, learning English, addressing medical concerns, or enrolling in higher education.

September – Community Kitchen of Monroe County: The Community Kitchen of Monroe County is the largest free meal provider in the county, addressing hunger and food insecurity in our community. In 2024, they served 302,900 meals and snacks accomplished through two brick-and-mortar locations, their food truck delivering to low-income and senior housing facilities, and programs like Backpack Buddies (serving over 550 students), Summer Food Service Program, Senior Links, and Nutrition Links. With no eligibility requirements, the Community Kitchen focuses on serving the most vulnerable populations. Their mission is to eliminate hunger in Monroe County and surrounding areas through direct service, education, and advocacy, working both independently and in partnership with other organizations. All programs are designed to uphold the dignity of those they serve and combat the stigma associated with food insecurity.

October – Bloomingfoods’ Choice

November – Sycamore Land Trust: Sycamore Land Trust was founded in 1990 to preserve the beauty, health, and diversity of southern Indiana’s natural landscape through strategic land conservation and environmental education. SLT has permanently protected 11,727 acres on 60 nature preserves across southern Indiana, restoring critical habitats like wetlands, forests, grasslands, and wildflower meadows to safeguard biodiversity and provide a refuge for rare and endangered species. They maintain more than 30 miles of free hiking trails on 13 public nature preserves, providing year-round access to natural areas for people of all ages and abilities. Through their Environmental Education Program, Sycamore Land Trust connects thousands of students and community members to nature each year with hands-on outdoor learning, guided hikes, and free programming for schools and community organizations. A donation to Sycamore will help create a future in which southern Indiana has diverse and abundant habitats for native plants and animals, clean air and water, working lands that are productive and sustainable, and people who embrace the connection between a healthy environment and our quality of life.

December – Middle Way House: Middle Way House provides essential services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking across six counties in south-central Indiana. They offer emergency shelter for those immediately fleeing domestic violence, a 24/7 help and crisis line that answers more than 5,000 calls annually on average, sexual assault advocacy, long-term supportive housing, and a free youth program that gives residential children a safe and enriching space after school and during school breaks. Funding will be used for flexible assistance to remove barriers that can lead to or prolong homelessness—such as helping survivors obtain vital documents or access transportation. It will also support healing and enrichment activities for survivors and their children, like support groups, cooking club, pool passes, and bus tickets. Your donation helps ensure that families in crisis have the support they need to find safety, stability, and hope.