When visitors come to Midwest Food Bank for the first time they are often surprised by the size of our warehouses and the amount of food on our shelves. They aren't expecting forklifts, pallets, and semi-trucks. That's when the conversation turns to the difference between a food bank and a food pantry. Food banks – Midwest Food Bank, like other foo...
A box of cereal and a smile left a lasting impression on a 7-year-old boy in New York. Fast forward to 2020 and that boy is now a man in his early 40s and Jason Serrano can recount that event with clarity. "I know that smile was because she was doing God's work," Jason says about how the woman from a church down the street came to his ho...
Midwest Food Bank will open a new location in the Hershey, Pennsylvania, area, MFB President and CEO David Kieser announced today. Jason and Aleta Serrano of New York are leading a team of organizers to expand MFB's impact. They are currently seeking a facility to lease for the new division. "In Pennsylvania, 1 in 8 households are food insecure, an...
Midwest Food Bank has been shipping Disaster Relief all over the US since March (stories here and here). Family food boxes have have been helping people affected by business closures and layoffs. Volunteers have been assembling, filling, and driving food boxes every week. The Tender Mercies packing machine has been running non-stop, setting new pro...
It's hard to adequately thank the generosity of a couple recent donations to Midwest Food Bank Peoria. So, simply put, MFB thanks Bob Gilmore and the Gilmore Foundation and CEFCU. Bob Gilmore and the Gilmore Foundation donated $1 million to five local non-profit organizations to celebrate Bob's 100th birthday. MFB Peoria received $3...
We are so encouraged when we see young people involved in charitable work. It gives hope for the future. Recently, a group of girls aged 7-11 brainstormed a way to help people affected by COVID-19. With their parents permission, the girls made jewelry and sell it in their Morton, Illinois, neighborhood. Their parents helped them investigate and loc...
Typically, in July and August, Midwest Food Bank is preparing for the Disaster Relief we will provide during hurricane season. 2020 has been anything but typical. Much of our effort since March has been focused on Disaster Relief. The COVID-19 crisis has placed many people in a position of food insecurity. Thanks to your support, we have been ...
Midwest Food Bank is participating in a new USDA program benefitting food suppliers as well as those in need. The program is called the Farmers to Family Food Box Program. The USDA is partnering with national, regional, and local suppliers, who have been significantly impacted by the closure of food service businesses. The USDA will purchase u...
It was a beautiful day for shooting guns and raising funds. The 11th annual Clay Shoot for Hunger was held on June 13, 2020. All proceeds benefitted Peoria and Morton Midwest Food Banks. 176 shooters took part in the event, which was held at the Oak Ridge Sportsman Club in Mackinaw, IL. Following the clay shoot, participants received a to...
It's that time of year again. Articles with titles like "Top ten gifts for Dad" show up. They appear for a reason. It can be difficult finding a meaningful gift for a parent. Forgive us for adding one more suggestion to the mix. Some truly unique and purposeful time spent with Dad would be a gift to both the giver and recipient. What dad wouldn't a...
The Midwest Food Bank central team welcomes a new bookkeeper to our team: Julie Bakewell. Julie will be assisting on the central and Haiti MFB accounts. She will be working out of the Bloomington-Normal location. Julie comes to Midwest Food Bank with many years of experience in accounting and non-profit work. They include time spent at State Farm a...
During COVID-19, many people have self-quarantined due to exposure or compromised immune systems. How do people in quarantine get the food they need? A community collaborative called HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) is answering that question. MFB Peoria is blessed to be a part of the answer. Quarantined people in need call 211 with their reques...
This is an unprecedented season of Disaster Relief at Midwest Food Bank. Responding to the needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is posing unique challenges. Most states are experiencing work suspensions and quarantines, causing food insecurity. Rather than sending relief to a single disaster area, our partner, The Salvation Army, has been re...
Dear Friend of Midwest Food Bank, What an extraordinary time this is! Just one short month ago, we would not have thought all of the changes we've been through were possible. And yet now many of us are sheltering in place, watching unusual events unfold. Much has changed in the 15 years since Midwest Food Bank began providing Disaster Relief after ...
Each day, MFB volunteers go to local grocery stores - HyVee and Kroger - to gather perishable food. That food includes artisan bread from the bakeries at these stores. Food pantries shared with us that these loaves of bread are often passed over by their clients because they can't or may not want to slice them. Sometimes a small change makes ...
Support for Midwest Food Bank Peoria comes from many people and businesses. Recently, it came from just a few steps away. The national headquarters of MH Equipment is right next door to MFB Peoria. It employs over 900 people and has 28 servicing locations across 10 states. MH employees will walk over to MFB Peoria to volunt...
MFB Peoria is blessed to be able to stand between those who have and those who need. Generous food and monetary donors allow us to accept and warehouse food to distribute to partner agencies. To increase the value of the food MFB distributes, we have been focusing on retrieving more nutrient-dense foods like fresh fruits and v...
Late in 2019, two business publications have recently had favorable things to say about Midwest Food Bank. Business.org published a list of "The Best Charities for Your Money in Every State." Midwest Food Bank was selected as the best charity for your money in Illinois. Based on transparency and program expense, each of the fifty chariti...
Hope Packs, Midwest Food Bank's weekend feeding program for students, recently received a boost from the Global Information Services team from Caterpillar Inc. The team purchased, packed and donated over 9,000 meal packs to MFB Peoria.Each of the donated meal packs has two hot meals, two hot breakfast items, shelf-stable fruit, fruit snacks, j...
Our final event for the year 2019 ended with a lovely banquet to benefit Midwest Food Bank Peoria and Morton. We were thrilled to be able to host the banquet in our newly renovated Peoria warehouse space. Prospect Sound and Lighting assisted with the banquet set up. Dinner guests began their evening with scrumptious hors d'oeuvres as they ming...
