Midwest Food Bank Volunteers Make a Lasting Difference

For Lory, volunteering at Midwest Food Bank Bloomington began with a single Thrivent event in December 2018. What started as a holiday outing with her family has grown into a calling that continues to bless her and many others.

After a 30-year career in social services, Lory retired two years ago and now volunteers regularly. She often brings her son, daughter, and grandsons along, making service a family tradition.

“I arranged for my family and I to attend a Thrivent event near Christmas, and we were hooked!” Lory recalls. “When they put out the call for more evening leads, I felt like God was telling me to answer the call so people who worked or went to school could still have the opportunity to volunteer like I did.”

Since retiring, she has added Distribution Days to her schedule. “It feels good doing something tangible to help people in need and like I’m doing what God calls us to do,” she shares.

Lory especially values the community she has found while serving. “Knowing that what we’re doing is actually making a difference for someone by helping provide them with food. I also enjoy the staff and other volunteers here. It feels like a big extended family.”

LeeAnn Fujimoto, who serves alongside Lory, shares this reflection:

“Lory is an incredible volunteer whose dedication and enthusiasm shine through in everything she does. Whether she’s loading carts during distribution or restocking dry goods, Lory jumps right into the physically demanding work with energy and a smile. Her willingness to help wherever she’s needed is truly inspiring.

In addition to her distribution duties, Lory is specially trained to lead evening preload shifts, an essential role where volunteers load pallets for agency pickup. This task requires not only strength but also careful coordination and expertise, and Lory handles it with confidence and care.

She also leads group repacking projects, creating a fun and productive environment that keeps volunteers engaged and motivated. Her passion for service is contagious, and she’s even passed it on to her grandsons, who love joining her whenever they can.

Lory is a vital part of the MFB team, helping us fulfill our mission to feed those facing food insecurity. We’re so grateful for her strength, leadership, and heart!”

Lory’s journey shows how answering God’s call to serve can bless both the giver and the community.

Like Lory, you can answer the call to serve and make a difference. Join us in Bloomington to bless families today. Begin your volunteer journey.

Summer in Morton brought more than sunshine this year. It also brought new hands and hearts ready to serve.

We were blessed to host intern groups from Komatsu and Precision Planting, introducing young people from across the country to our mission.

Whether they were helping on Distribution Day or building boxes for families in need, these interns brought energy and willingness to serve. Their time with us provided not only valuable support for our operations but also a chance for them to hear the story of Midwest Food Bank.

We are grateful for their service and for the opportunity to connect with the businesses and communities they represent. Welcoming interns reminds us that the next generation of leaders is ready to step into service with compassion and purpose.

Your business or group can also make a difference by serving with us. Together, we can multiply blessings. 

This summer, Berry College sophomore Corbin Dutcher chose to spend his break in a way that would bless countless others. Serving as an intern at Midwest Food Bank Georgia, Corbin quickly found that giving his time not only impacted the community but also brought meaning to his own life.

Corbin balances his studies with work at Partners Pizza when home from college. He has a long history of giving back, from his involvement with Young Life during high school to his work with Northwest Georgia Hunger Ministries while in school. His calling to serve continues to grow.

“I volunteer because I like to help others in need. Seeing others happy makes me feel content with myself and helps me understand that I am making a difference to others,” Corbin shares.

One part of volunteering that stands out to him the most is distribution day. “I love to see the joy in the agencies that we provide, the joy in their faces when they can help serve their communities,” Corbin says. He recalls one special memory of helping an agency during their first time receiving cold and frozen items. “They were incredibly happy for that,” he remembers.

His summer internship has left a lasting impression. “I have really enjoyed being here this past summer, and I plan to come back next summer when I am available to serve others,” he says.

Corbin’s story is a reminder of the power of young people answering the call to serve. His faith and willingness to give of his time are helping communities thrive, one act of service at a time.

Like Corbin, you can make a difference by giving your time and heart. Join us in serving communities across Georgia. Volunteer today.

A group of sixth graders from Ellington Apostolic Church recently showed what faithful service can look like when combined with a joyful spirit of giving.

Together, they repacked 1,440 pounds of Cheez-Its at Midwest Food Bank New England, and they also brought a very special gift.

Over the past six months, the students quietly filled a mason jar in their Sunday school classroom with coins and cash, eventually raising $804.40. When they arrived at the food bank, that gift was multiplied into the equivalent of $32,096 in food for families experiencing food insecurity.

Sam Schneider, their Sunday school teacher, shared how it all began:

“Earlier in the year, on Sunday, we were reading the Bible story about the woman who gave two mites, which was all she had. One of the kids piped up and said we should donate money too! I asked them where they would want to donate the money they raise, and a few of them shouted out, “Midwest Food Bank!” So that began the mason jar, which sat on the shelf in our Sunday school classroom for the last 6 months, and each Sunday the kids would bring cash or pocket change and toss it in the jar at random. Suddenly, we realized it was growing, and the kids started getting excited about counting it. When I told them that Midwest stretches a dollar 30 times, they were blown away at the difference they could make in the lives of people with food insecurities.”

For these young volunteers, the lesson was more than a Sunday school story. It was a call to live out faith through action, reminding us all that no gift is too small when given with a willing heart.

The impact was twofold. They not only helped provide tens of thousands of dollars’ in food but also experienced the joy of serving side by side in fellowship. These students discovered the truth of what happens when faith meets action, and they left an impression of hope on the Midwest Food Bank New England team.

As their mason jar overflowed with coins, their time together overflowed with meaning. Their story stands as a reminder that generosity, no matter the size, can multiply into something far greater than we imagine.

Call to Action

You can help multiply blessings, too. Whether through prayer, giving, or serving alongside others, your part makes a difference. Join us today.

When a Pennsylvania food manufacturer discovered a labeling error on thousands of applesauce cups, they couldn’t sell them, but they also didn’t want to throw them away. That’s when Midwest Food Bank Pennsylvania received the call.

Instead of heading to a landfill, three full truckloads, 360,000 cups, are now being repackaged by volunteers, ready to be distributed to families in need. The product itself was perfectly good; it was simply mislabeled.

“We work hard to find these opportunities and respond quickly when they are presented,” said Nick Bates, Operations Manager. “Whether it’s bulk pasta, cereal, or applesauce, we can repackage it for a fraction of the cost to purchase, and distribute it to people in need vs. a landfill.”

While the applesauce was donated, the process still requires about $10,000 in supplies for relabeling and boxing. Volunteers have stepped into that role with diligence, joy, and compassion, ensuring every cup is ready for distribution.

What Does Food Rescue Mean?

Food rescue is the act of receiving safe, edible food that, for various reasons, can’t be sold, and making sure it reaches people who need it instead of going to waste. In this case, it meant transforming what might have been discarded into nourishment for thousands of children and families.

The Power of Volunteers

Dozens of faithful hands are at work, from removing the old labels to carefully applying new ones, repackaging in bulk, and stacking the boxes for distribution. This is slow, steady labor that transforms small acts into a big blessing.

This rescue isn’t only about feeding people; it’s also about protecting God’s creation by reducing waste. Every truckload saved from a landfill means fewer resources wasted, less environmental harm, and more food available for neighbors facing hunger.

How You Can Help

When you give to Midwest Food Bank, you’re not just providing food, you’re fueling the trucks, buying the supplies, and empowering volunteers to serve. Be part of the rescue.