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...

 Midwest Food Bank Texas is one of multiple food providers in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Rural communities are less likely to receive food assistance. MFB Texas is focusing relief efforts in those communities. The photo below shows a delivery in Mexia, TX, a community of nearly 7,500. Texas has a high rate of food insecurity at 14%. Lime...

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...

"My passions are education and helping children," says Lakeisha Faggett, eCommerce Marketing Consultant at Caterpillar, Peoria, IL. Serving with the Junior League of Peoria, she leads a program teaching children from disadvantaged communities how to cook. Lakeisha is also the Chair of Caterpillar's African American Network (CAAN). Through CAAN, she...

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 ...

Timeless - that is the first word audiences hear in "Ruth" the musical, written and composed by David Getz. The musical depicts the Bible's book of Ruth and the timeless themes of kindness and compassion. "You don't have to be a Christian to get behind both of those things," Getz says.  Audiences should mark their calendar for October 10....

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 ...

If you've been to the Morton warehouse of Midwest Food Bank you probably noticed the big machine that produces Tender Mercies meals. It's kind of hard to miss. That machine doesn't run itself - MFB depends on dedicated volunteers. Those volunteers not only operate the machine but they clean and maintain it, too. It's easy to talk about the numbers,...

 Our plans are usually not God's plans. Don Owen, director of God's Warehouse, in Morristown, Tennessee will tell you that. Owen is one of 850 volunteers in his area that serve Nolachucky Baptist Association. There are several arms to their ministries - one being disaster relief. "Quite honestly, we let the Lord direct our path," Owen say...

Haiti, long susceptible to the ravages of natural disasters, corrupt governments, and frequent unrest, can now add the COVID-19 pandemic to its list of challenges. With the virus present in Haiti, President Jovenel Moise has closed all airports, seaports, factories, and schools. Given that Haiti only produces 50% of the food needed to feed its...

National Volunteer Week, April 19-25, celebrates the impact of volunteer service across the nation and in our communities. We invite you to be a part of this special week.  Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal volunteer efforts are still planned in our warehouse with some slight modifications. We are all focused on health and sh...

Merilee Baptiste came to Arizona right after college for the sunshine. That carefree decision landed her a 22-year career at Vanguard and eventually, Midwest Food Bank. On Feb. 1, Merilee joined the MFB team as Executive Director of MFB Arizona.  Merilee had been volunteering at various non-profits and started volunteering at MF...

 Every day at Midwest Food Bank Arizona, we bear witness to small miracles and huge acts of faith. Consider our rapidly growing Tucson satellite facility run by volunteer leaders Curt and Caroline Kaufman. The Tucson site operates Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings and is staffed entirely by volunteers. For the Kaufmans, the idea for the ...

 Midwest Food Bank Indiana works alongside many ministries to help people in need. One of these is Saul to Paul Ministries in Ellettsville. It is an in-house recovery program for men over the age of 18. This no-cost program uses the Bible as its curriculum and helps men that struggle with life controlling sin and addiction. These are encourage...

 When we say Midwest Food Bank volunteers do just about anything and everything, we mean it. Drive 3 1/2 hours to pick up food? Sure, no problem. Scrub a warehouse floor? They get after it. Speak to a community group about the MFB mission? No stage fright here. Recently at the Bloomington/Normal warehouse, three volunteers were recognized for ...

Volunteering at Midwest Food Bank can fit into any work schedule. At MFB, we get creative when it comes to finding just the right volunteer job for every person. That's the case for JayLyn Knobloch, a third-shift nurse. Even though she works night shift at a local hospital, JayLyn wanted to volunteer at MFB. "I love the community and love what...

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...

Midwest Food Bank Texas has a new fork lift. It is more energy efficient than the units we have been using. Along with the trade-in of an older unit, a grant provided the funds to purchase this new forklift.  Also new at MFB Texas is the arrangement of our warehouse pallet racking. The reorganization creates a safer and more efficien...

 Have you ever wondered what happens to the excess products at local grocery stores? Midwest Food Bank is fortunate to receive those quality excess products - bakery goods, dairy, produce and meat for example. That food is then given, free of charge, to food pantries throughout our region. Six mornings a week MFB Bloomington-Normal volunteers ...