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...
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...
Midwest Food Bank will open a new location in the Hershey, Pennsylvania, area, MFB President and CEO David Kieser announced today. Jason and Aleta Serrano of New York are leading a team of organizers to expand MFB's impact. They are currently seeking a facility to lease for the new division. "In Pennsylvania, 1 in 8 households are food insecure, an...
A box of cereal and a smile left a lasting impression on a 7-year-old boy in New York. Fast forward to 2020 and that boy is now a man in his early 40s and Jason Serrano can recount that event with clarity. "I know that smile was because she was doing God's work," Jason says about how the woman from a church down the street came to his ho...
"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. In normal times, life is a struggle in Kenya. In the time of COVID-19, it has become much worse...
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, Kapu Africa (MFB East Africa) is working to put smiles on the faces of children in need. Rozzika Gardens grows fresh vegetables which are exported to The Netherlands. Vegetables that do not meet quality standards (still edible and delicious) are donated to Kapu Africa. In late March, a large amount of fres...
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....
In an effort to provide at-risk families with food during the COVID-19 crisis, Midwest Food Bank Indiana has partnered with several organizations and churches. Together, they are supporting and operating "Pop-up Pantries," off-site food distribution locations in Indianapolis, IN. "The Indianapolis community is doing what it does best – stepping up ...
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 ...
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 says. As the C...
