Bob Evans says he is a fan of Matthew - the book in the Bible, that is. He's not only a fan but a follower and a doer when it comes to verse 25:40: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Bob joined the board of Midwest Food Bank Indiana earlier this year. He brings a wealth of e...
It's not just about food for Faith Hope and Love Community in Indianapolis. FHL is one of the food partners that receive food, without cost, from Midwest Food Bank Indiana. Yes, they distribute food through 10 different pantries. but they also want to create a path of self-sufficiency for the people they meet and serve. Here's how that h...
Tomi Brooks describes herself as a huge sports fan. Her work life also was in the sports arena as the Operations Coordinator for the NCAA for 23 years. That experience helping young people compete and be part of a team will come in handy as she builds a roster of volunteers at Midwest Food Bank Indiana. Tomi joined the Indiana staff as Volunte...
Podcasts are here to stay, and they have exploded in popularity. Consider this: there are about 4.5 million podcasts registered globally, and 57% of people in the US have listened to at least one podcast (according to thepodcasthost.com). Because podcasts are easily accessible and allow listeners to zero in on content that interests them whene...
The numbers are in for 2021, and it was a year of blessings. Midwest Food Bank spent $14 million and distributed $430 million worth of food. Put another way, for every dollar donated to MFB, $31 worth of food was given to those in need. MFB serves nearly 2,100 nonprofit partner agencies. Generous donors and dedicated volunteers make those numbers p...
For 12 years, Midwest Food Bank Indiana operated out of a "small," 12,000 sq.ft. warehouse space (story here). During the pandemic, long-time MFB supporter Steve Kopetsky generously offered us warehouse space on Kopetsky Drive (story here). We also leased an additional 18,000 sq. ft. of space at the same location. MFB Indiana i...
Midwest Food Bank has again received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation's top charity evaluator. MFB has received this recognition every year since 2011. Only 3% of charities receive a four-star rating for ten consecutive years. The rating is based on MFB's demonstration of robust financial health and its commitment to accountabi...
In Morgan County, Indiana, several food pantries work together. They share resources, like box trucks and facilities, to feed their communities. Loaves and Fishes, a food pantry at the Pentecostals of Nashville Church is one of those pantries. When they opened in 2017, about 20 families came for assistance. Now they serve ...
All the food that comes in and goes out the doors of Midwest Food Bank needs to be documented. That attention to detail is critical, and volunteers often make it happen. At MFB Indiana, Marla Tolle does that vital work. She tracks the food given out on distribution days and records food that enters and leaves the warehouse. Her role as as...
Brandon Lipps has joined the Midwest Food Bank National Board of Directors. His vast experience in organizational leadership aligns with the mission of MFB. Brandon grew up in the small town of Woodson, TX. He received a B.S. in agricultural economics and a law degree from Texas Tech University. His wide array of experience includes practicing law,...
The images of a natural disaster show hard-to-believe scenes - flooding up to a roof-top, a home destroyed but books still lined on a shelf, charred trees with a fire approaching an urban area, rain and high winds bending trees over. These are familiar sights following floods, tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes. In the aftermath, there are people who...
Building relationships and partnerships extend to all aspects of Midwest Food Bank, including the behind-the-scenes vendors. One of our partnerships is the online giving platform iDonate. "It's evident that iDonate is consistent with the MFB culture," says Jada Hoerr, MFB Chief Resource Officer. "We are a growing organization, and as iDonate c...
With roles at both MFB and his family farm, Eric Hodel works in two industries associated with feeding people. This helps make Eric uniquely qualified to serve as Midwest Food Bank's CEO beginning January 1, 2022. David Kieser, MFB's current CEO, will remain the President of the MFB Board of Directors. Eric joined Midwest Food Bank in April 2017, a...
As a faith-based organization, it is the mission of the Midwest Food Bank to share the love of Christ by alleviating hunger ad malnutrition locally and throughout the world and providing disaster relief; all without discrimination. MFB is about people. Food Recipients - We work to put food into the hands of the food insecure.&...
The pandemic created uncertainty in so many ways. Food pantries across the United States saw an increase in people utilizing their services. Pantry 279 in rural, southern Indiana went from serving about 3,500 people each month to 6,000-8,000 people each month. "Midwest Food Bank stepped up and allowed us to come to their warehouse extra times ...
Most US households are "food secure," meaning they have consistent access to enough food for healthy, active living. However, some households lack access to adequate food due to a lack of money or other resources. These homes are called "food insecure." Midwest Food Bank turns to the US Department of Agriculture's annual report on household fo...
Matt McKaig has been the Operations Manager at MFB Indiana for just over a year. He grew up on a dairy farm and has a younger sister and twin brother. Matt received a degree in agriculture from Purdue University and has worked for a veterinarian and cattle broker after college and then in the seed corn business. He is married to Mich...
As Midwest Food Bank grows in size, we also want to grow in understanding. Understanding the stories of our food recipients helps us fulfill our mission. With every food recipient we meet, we grow in compassion and humility. We appreciate their willingness to partner with us and are honored to learn their stories and share them with you. We w...
Midwest Food Bank is pleased to announce the hire of Nate Westerfield as our new IT Director. He began at MFB on September 7 and will work part-time through October. Beginning November 1, he will transition to full-time and be located in Morton, IL division. Nate brings more than 20 years of IT experience to MFB. Most recently, Nate has served as t...
At Midwest Food Bank, we are surrounded by unsung heroes every day. Our business model relies heavily on a strong volunteer base. Volunteers fill many roles, such as bookkeeper, receptionist, file clerk, building maintenance, forklift operator, cook, volunteer leader, food distributor. These vital jobs are done with love, warmth, and joy as people ...
