Typically, in July and August, Midwest Food Bank is preparing for the Disaster Relief we will provide during hurricane season. 2020 has been anything but typical. Much of our effort since March has been focused on Disaster Relief. The COVID-19 crisis has placed many people in a position of food insecurity. Thanks to your support, we have been ...
The Disabled Empowerment Society of Kenya (DIESK) has been reaching out to families of disabled people in Nairobi. Food insecurity is severe for those too disabled to work. The COVID pandemic has exacerbated the situation. DIESK carefully maps out households most at risk. Tender Mercies meals donated by Kapu Africa are given to these families. In a...
Kapu Africa (Midwest Food Bank East Africa) was encouraged recently when a "thank you" letter arrived from an organization that rescues and rehabilitates children, youth and families living on the streets in Nairobi, Kenya. "As we distribute the food we have been evangelizing to the street families whenever we get the opportunity, and a numbe...
It was a beautiful day for shooting guns and raising funds. The 11th annual Clay Shoot for Hunger was held on June 13, 2020. All proceeds benefitted Peoria and Morton Midwest Food Banks. 176 shooters took part in the event, which was held at the Oak Ridge Sportsman Club in Mackinaw, IL. Following the clay shoot, participants received a to...
It's that time of year again. Articles with titles like "Top ten gifts for Dad" show up. They appear for a reason. It can be difficult finding a meaningful gift for a parent. Forgive us for adding one more suggestion to the mix. Some truly unique and purposeful time spent with Dad would be a gift to both the giver and recipient. What dad wouldn't a...
While giving food to the hungry is the main thing Kapu Africa (Midwest Food Bank East Africa) does, there is a higher purpose behind it. The first part of our mission statement is "to share the love of Christ." Feeding hungry people is a step in drawing them to Christ. The Kenyan people have been under a strict lockdown due to COVID-19. This h...
Midwest Food Bank is pleased to announce a new employee. David Emerson has been hired as Executive Director of Midwest Food Bank Texas. As Executive Director, he is responsible for ensuring MFB's food service programs are executed with efficient use of facilities, employees and volunteers. He is also responsible for budgeting, fundraising, communit...
Always ready, always there is how the National Guard describes themselves. At Midwest Food Bank we know this is true. Since the end of March and until the end of June, the Indiana National Guard is providing about 50 men and women every week day to help MFB in all aspects of warehouse management and food distribution. Due to COVID 19 regular MFB vo...
Midwest Food Bank, Florida had to take a timeout from providing food through the mobile pantry due to COVID 19. But, on May 16 the mobile pantry made a comeback delivering 750 meal kits, two pallets of water and one pallet each of bread and canned beans. This mobile pantry has been serving the region for about two years and typically operates on a ...
Midwest Food Bank Haiti believes partnerships are beneficial to share the Gospel and feed people in Haiti. While feeding people - physically and spiritually is the mission of MFB - many of our partners have other components to their ministry like medical care, education, job training, shelter and basic needs like clothing. By walking alongsid...
At dawn on May 20 a fleet of trucks left Midwest Food Bank Arizona en route to the Navajo Nation. The trucks were loaded with canned food, bottled water and milk, diapers, paper products, and 960 boxes of produce from Stern Produce. The combined effort between Midwest Food Bank Arizona and Helping Hands Navajo Nation is in response t...
Construction will begin soon for Phase I of our Impacting Campaign. Phase I includes the freezer and refrigerator capable of holding 12 semi truck loads of fresh and frozen food. Now more than ever, our community needs the nutritious food we will be able to provide when we add this cold storage capacity. While construction of the freezer and r...
During any typical month, we average hundreds of volunteers serving here giving us thousands of hours of love and support. In 2019, we had over 4,000 individuals serve for over 46,000 hours. Since the beginning of COVID-19, we have had to reduce our volunteer opportunities. We miss the joy, energy and excitement our volunteer groups bring to the wa...
Challenges and opportunities describe the food supply chain in the United States due to COVID 19. At Midwest Food Bank we are focusing on the opportunities and how we can link potential food waste to people in need. MFB has started a "Save the Pork Program" that allows farmers to donate their hogs. With financial help from donors, MFB can cover the...
Midwest Food Bank is participating in a new USDA program benefitting food suppliers as well as those in need. The program is called the Farmers to Family Food Box Program. The USDA is partnering with national, regional, and local suppliers, who have been significantly impacted by the closure of food service businesses. The USDA will purchase u...
Do you know a nutritious, hot meal that costs 20 cents? At Midwest Food Bank we strive to provide the best possible meal choices for people in need. One of the ways we do that is through our Tender Mercies meal packets - rice, pre-cooked pinto beans, soy protein and fortified chicken flavored seasoning. Coordinated at MFB Morton, Te...
Recently we shared how the COVID-19 crisis was giving the Tender Mercies machine a workout (here). That hasn't changed as the demand for Tender Mercies continues. Looking back, that wasn't always the case. In fact, there were many days and sometimes weeks the machine sat idle. "I see now that God had this all in mind," says Gail...
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...
There is a new face at Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal. Shelby Moore has joined our team as the new Volunteer Coordinator. "Shelby has a unique skill set that will effectively complement our team," says Tara Ingham, Executive Director of MFB Bloomington-Normal. "She has a huge heart for local and global outreach." Shelby has her BA in Bu...
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...
