The South Bend Police Department’s Peer Support Team has organized an online meal train for the family of LaPorte County Deputy Samuelson, asking the public to help fill delivery slots while he recovers.
The message on the meal train site made the appeal plain: while the deputy is on the road to recovery, the community is being asked to step in for the people who have always cared for him — his family.
The fundraiser-style support page said the family should be able to focus 100% of their energy on healing, comfort and being there for one another. It also said that during a crisis, the last thing a family should have to worry about is what’s for dinner, and the team asked people to share the link with their networks, community groups and organizations to help fill the calendar.
Meal trains are a familiar kind of grassroots response when families face sudden strain, but this effort is centered squarely on Deputy Samuelson’s recovery and the people around him who are trying to keep daily life moving. The public message did not say what led to the deputy’s need for support, and it did not provide details about the incident.
That absence of detail has not slowed the response. The South Bend Police Department framed the effort as one of care and solidarity, saying, “Our thoughts and prayers are with Deputy Samuelson, his family, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, and all who know him.” For now, the practical ask is simple: sign up, deliver a meal and pass the link along so the family can concentrate on recovery instead of dinner plans.
