While food insecurity is rapidly rising, the world is expected to waste 2.1 million tons of food annually by 2030, according to Yale research. In the United States alone, $408 billion was spent on food in 2021 that was never eaten. That's nearly a quarter of US food going to waste instead of to those who need it. On Tuesday, July 12, 2022, Mid...
Tender Mercies meals are designed by dieticians to be more than a rice and beans meal. There is nutrition in every bag. Every serving of Tender Mercies has: • The calcium of one glass of milk• The iron of two and a half cups of spinach.• The potassium of two bananas.• The protein of 3 ounces of fish. With such a nutritious product, MFB wondere...
Sometimes things go full circle. For Alisa Robb, it happened with Froot Loops. Alisa heard about Midwest Food Bank and volunteer opportunities through friends. So, when she retired after 30 years as an occupational therapy assistant she started volunteering at MFB Peoria doing packing projects. Often MFB receives food in bulk amounts and volu...
When people think about donating to Midwest Food Bank, they often think of the three Cs: Cash, Check, Credit card. While these three are very common, there are many ways to make a contribution to MFB. We understand our donors appreciate the opportunity to give in a variety of ways. To make it easy for donors, MFB has assembled instructions and insi...
A bag of groceries, the spirit of prayer, and grace are how volunteers serve the people that come to the food pantry at Grace United Methodist Church in Pekin. Once a month the church opens its gym and guests walk through and fill one or two bags with food, including frozen food items. Anywhere from 50-100 families come to this pantry event. One of...
Midwest Food Bank Peoria became a giant classroom when 70 students learned about MFB and how we get food to local food pantries and people in need. The field trip was possible because of a civics action learning grant the health department received. "Visiting the food bank gave students a better understanding of the supply chain for local food...
We've all felt the pinch of rising food and gas prices. But for people who fall into the category of "food insecure," those prices create a budget where the math can't add up. It's not just a hunch that prices are rising. The Consumer Price Index shows an 8.8% increase in food prices in March 2022, the most significant 12-month advance since May 19...
The numbers say Midwest Food Bank gave about $430 million worth of food at no cost to about 2,100 food partners in the U.S. and around the world in 2021. That $430 million number represents the food those food partners receive from MFB - at no cost. That's a big deal as it allows them to use their money in other areas of their ministries - like fue...
Three organizations are influential in supporting Midwest Food Bank - the Caterpillar Foundation, GROWMARK, and State Farm. All three are top supporters of MFB operations in Illinois and beyond. Over the past year, all three have supported MFB in the form of grants - $56,000 from the Caterpillar Foundation, $50,000 from GROWMARK, and $150,000 from ...
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...
Three people volunteer at Midwest Food Bank Peoria with reliability and consistency to make sure the bookkeeping responsibilities are completed. We want to introduce you to Tom, Lynn, and Claire. They each have a different path that brought them to MFB, but they share the servant spirit. As you will see, they also share a love of travel. ...
Leave what you can and take what you need is the motto of the Riverside Community Fridge in downtown Peoria. The Fridge is a ministry of Riverside Community Church. Take a look inside and you will find milk, eggs, packaged meat, carrots, lettuce, strawberries, and other nutritious items that need refrigeration. The Fridge is stocked through do...
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...
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...
Kyle Morr heard about a job opening at Midwest Food Bank Peoria from MFB IT Director Nate Westerfield and Peoria volunteer and former employee Lori Allen. It sounded like a perfect fit for his family. Kyle started his role as Operations Manager in December. Most recently working at a church, Kyle is happy to be able to maintain a ministry focus at ...
After a 35-year career in the financial planning sector, Pat Cutilletta is ready to volunteer and use her professional expertise to help others. Pat has joined the advisory board at MFB Peoria. "I loved my career and still miss the clients and daily challenges, but I retired to have time to give back," says Pat. Pat grew up in the Peoria...
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...
