Patty Hull, Organizer of the Church of Jesus Christ Food Pantry, has always been a resource for everyone in need. From her time with an animal advocate group, to helping people with disabilities, to raising over 500,000 lbs of food for the hungry people of Northwest Indiana, Hull has shown that she is an advocate for all.
Born and raised in Hobart, Hull attended River Forest High School where she played volleyball, ran track, and was involved in the school yearbook.
After graduating from high school, she got married and immediately moved to New York with her husband, who was in the military. The couple lived there for 10 years and during that time, Hull began her impressive career in community service.
“During the time we were in New York, I worked for an organization called Independent Living,” Hull explained. “I worked with people with disabilities. Whether it was a home or financial issue, or anything, we were a resource for them. Whatever needs they had, we would connect them with other resources that could also help them.”
Her service continued, but this time, her work didn’t focus on people. Hull was part of an animal advocate group while she worked for Independent Living.
“We worked a lot with educating people about animal abuse and the importance of neutering and spaying your pets,” Hull said. “Just anything we could do to help animals.”
After living on the east coast for ten years, Hull began to feel homesick. In 1995, she moved back to Northwest Indiana to be closer to her family.
“I missed my family,” she explained. “All of my family lives in the Hobart area. So I just missed my family and felt like it was time to come home.”
Hull began working for her brother, who owned an auto repair shop. There, she helped run the books for a few years until she moved to Medaryville, Indiana and began working for Complete Electric in Francesville in 2005.
But it wasn’t until 2011 that she and her family began attending the Church of Jesus Christ. When she first began attending church services, she immediately fell in love with the congregation and the church.
“I just fell in love with the church and what it stood for,” Hull explained. “I just saw the best of God there and I loved being a part of it.”
Hull quickly began volunteering her time with the church and soon noticed one thing the church lacked: a food pantry.
“I started working with this group in Francesville called HDC which was like a warehouse for food,” Hull explained. “We would sort out food and once that was done, we would give the food to local food pantries. So when the church decided they wanted to help more people in the community, I told them that I had a few connections and maybe I can do something with that.”
Hull reached out to HGC in April of 2011 and the organization was happy to help out. Once a month, the church received food from HGC, but then, six months later, the church’s food pantry had grown so much that they began working with the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, a partnership that has continued six years later.
“This past April was six years,” Hull said. “Six years of working hard and trying to help those in the community in need.”
As the founder of the food pantry, Hull’s role is that of a bookkeeper. She runs the pantry and the pantry’s volunteers, does the books for the pantry and helps keep everything running smoothly.
Hull’s passion for this work comes from her good heart, but it was her mother’s own good heart that influenced Hull years ago.
“When I was younger, my mother used to take me to the Cerebral Palsy Association and she would read books to the children,” Hull explained. “I remember her picking me up from school and taking me there and I would just help her read to the kids. I still remember that she just had a heart for people and I’ve just carried that on.”
Like any person who dedicated their lives to helping those in need, Hull spends most of her time not only volunteering and staying active with her church and community, but also helping anyone who needs it.
“I don’t really have a lot of downtime,” Hull said. “When I’m not working or helping with the pantry, if there’s someone in need, like if they’re moving or just need someone, I’ll try to help.”
When Hull’s not working or volunteering, one will find her spending time with her daughters and her grandchildren or taking a well-deserved nap.
“Between a full time job, working with the food pantry, which is a big part of me, and then spending time with my grandkids, I keep pretty busy!” Hull said. “But it’s a good busy.”
For Patty Hull, this isn’t just work or something to pass the time. For the Hobart native, it’s a necessity, not only in a community she loves, but also for her as she continues on her mother’s legacy, all the while crafting her own.
“I have a heart for people in need and for animals in need,” Hull said. “I’ve been extremely blessed, so I want to do everything I can to help those in need.”