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...
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...
Midwest Food Bank is often the beneficiary of charitable efforts by local businesses. These fundraisers bring awareness of food insecurity and MFB's mission while providing donors with fun perks. 210 Financial's Pumpkin Pie Giveaway is a perfect example. Morton-based 210 Financial recently offered their customers a free pumpkin pie in exchange for ...
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...
At McGregor Food Pantry in Fort Myers, Food is only one of the services they offer. Counseling sessions and access to additional resources are available at the pantry. "When someone walks in these doors they are often in need of more than just food," says Bob Fain of McGregor Food Pantry. "We are blessed to be able to offer leads to other...
MFB Georgia is pleased and thankful to announce the addition of two new advisory board members. They are Benita Chinn and Efram Clark. Benita was the 2019 woman of the Year as one of Atlanta's 100 Most Powerful and Influential Women. She has a bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech in Engineering Technology and Education and an MBA from the Univ...
Kapu Africa (Midwest Food Bank East Africa) primarily distributes Tender Mercies and Unimix to our nonprofit partners. We also have donors who provide produce, yogurt, and other food. Kapu Africa recently received our largest donation of yogurt from Brookside Dairy. Kenyan-based Brookside Dairy is a long-time corporate donor to Kapu Africa. School ...
