"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." - I Peter 4:10 Smiles, food, and cleaning supplies are free on the third Friday of each month at Trinity Covenant Church in Manchester, CT. That's when the church puts ministry in action through Hope 4:10 ba...
Michelle Zelesky heard about Midwest Food Bank New England when she was volunteering at another non-profit. Now she volunteers at MFB weekly, loading vehicles on distribution day, sorting groceries, and operating a pallet jack in the warehouse. "I have seen so much progress in the facility since I began volunteering," says Michelle. "I li...
At many Midwest Food Bank locations, volunteers serve from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). Their words describe their time of missionary calling: "As missionaries, we leave our homes for 18-24 months and go wherever we're called. We spend our time serving others and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people ...
Midwest Food Bank Texas joined The Dallas Police Department, Paul Quinn College, David W Carter High School to provide a holiday food giveaway. The event was held on December 20 at Paul Quinn College. Dallas police flooded the campus wearing smiles. They brought these groups together to serve an underserved and often forgotten population in Ea...
You don't have to be at Midwest Food Bank Texas long before you'll see Mike Stuart. He is here daily, often for six to eight hours. You can find Mike in the warehouse, driving a forklift. Mike is retired from the Thomson Rueters Corporation. He is a widower with four children, eight grandchildren, and even one great-grand. Mike was lookin...
As with all MFB volunteers, truckers are crucial to our mission. Donated and rescued food often means arranging transportation. Even local trips to grocery stores add up in milage. For National Truckers Week in September, MFB highlighted a number of our volunteer truckers. As we continue to share volunteer truck driver stories. two more&...
Box builder, natural leader, road warrior. That is a quick way to describe three people, volunteers of the year 2021, at Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal. Let us introduce John Lindahl, Greg DeBo, and Steve Whaley and tell you how they impact MFB day-in and day-out. John Lindahl - John has become an expert at assembling boxes for...
Some people might call it an internal nudge. Local community member Nikki Reiland describes it as a "heart ping". Whatever you call it, Nikki says it means she wants to lend a hand. She got one of those pings in November, but this time she wanted to do something for the community, something bigger in scope. Nikki took to social ...
Haiti endured a brutal, heart-rending year in 2021 as political and economic turmoil built to a crescendo by the year's end. Security collapsed following the assassination of their president in July and a massive earthquake in August. Movement of food and fuel slowed and then crept to a virtual halt as kidnappings and violence exploded in...
People often refer to fellow volunteers at Midwest Food Bank as "family." Working together to help others creates a unique bond between people. And like any family, MFB volunteers celebrate with each other and cry with each other. The MFB Georgia family started the year off with a birthday celebration! Faithful volunteer Billy Hargrove turned...
Fruitful ministry is about collaboration. Kapu Africa (Midwest Food Bank East Africa) was a part of just such a collaboration in November. Kapu Africa, Spread Truth, the National Government, Office of MP Uganja, and the National Youth Council worked together, each bringing a unique service to the about 1,200 people that attended in Ugunja in Siaya ...
Even when separated by distance, language, and culture, a simple story of love can show us we have much in common with people a world away. "May our almighty God who is never outdone in generosity bless you abundantly." These were the words written in a thank you note from Star of the Sea Mental Health Initiative to Kapu Africa (Midwest F...
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 min...
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...
Time and money - that is what Sun Valley Church shares with Midwest Food Bank Arizona. The church has six locations in the metro-Phoenix area and often schedules times for staff and the congregation to volunteer at the MFB warehouse. The church has also supported MFB financially in the past, specifically the California wildfires in 2017-18.&nb...
Businesses across the country went remote at the beginning of the pandemic. Employees were meeting through Zoom instead of face-to-face. New employees were introduced remotely. Now that many organizations are returning to the office, employees need to meet in person, whether to renew acquaintance or meet for the first time. After working...
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...
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 ...
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...