By definition, values are important beliefs or ideals one has about what is good or bad, desirable or undesirable. They have a a major influence on one's behavior and attitude and serve as broad guidelines in all situations. In the first half of 2019, the Midwest Food Bank National Board of Directors reviewed and refined the organization's values. ...
What do foods like bok choy, oat milk, dried beans, and leeks all have in common? They are all unsung heroes, packed full of nutrition yet typically overlooked on our distribution line. Why? Perhaps they are a bit unfamiliar to many, but we are working to change that. The Bloomington-Normal location has been blessed to have Kate Walder join us for ...
Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal extends a warm welcome to our new Volunteer Coordinator, Davis Dossett. His duties will include scheduling and training volunteers, and scheduling Community Center spaces, in addition to office work. Davis will be working weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to assist with evening volunteer and Community C...
Enbridge employees from Pontiac, IL volunteered on May 29 in a very unique way—by offering to do a 4 hour, skilled labor project. Most volunteer groups help repackage food, pack boxes, and complete other food distribution projects for a couple hours. We are blessed with all the groups that help! Enbridge takes volunteering at MFB a step further by ...
Two grants were recently awarded to Midwest Food Bank's Backpack Program. Illinois Prairie Community Foundation's gift of $3000 and Kiwanis Bloomington Golden K's gift of $1500 will both help to purchase of a shelf-stable fruit product as a new addition to the program for the 2019-2020 school year. The Backpack Program provides food for the w...
The family of Midwest Food Bank founder and president, David Kieser, was honored at the McLean County Republican Party Lincoln Reagan Dinner. Held Friday, May 17, the dinner included a presentation by White House Chef Martin Mongiello, and a silent auction. Chosen from among eight other nominees, the David Kieser family was one of ...
Midwest Food Bank Bloomington Normal held their annual Gala Dinner and Auction on Saturday, April 6, 2019. Upon arriving, guests enjoyed appetizers while perusing and bidding on silent auction items. Upon being seated for the dinner, Gala attendees heard a first-hand account of needs in their community. Megan Whitecotton from Danvers Com...
Where there is no guidance, a people falls,but in an abundance of counselors there is safety."-Proverbs 13:14Midwest Food Bank's National Board met for an annual strategy session in February. The gathering of the nine board members was a time to reflect on the MFB mission and faithfully look forward to the future. Humbled by the growth in the fir...
Midwest Food Bank donors come in all shapes and sizes (and amounts!). We appreciate the heart each one has for those struggling with food insecurity. Donated funds, great and small, are treated with respect and what we hope is good stewardship.There is a unique subset of donors we'd like to take a moment to highlight. These are generous folks who ...
Investing time in someone is a great way to show you care. Lloyd Williams is investing in some young men in our community. Lloyd, a basketball coach, recently began using Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal's Community Center for basketball practice, bringing a group of eighth grade boys to play each week. Someone who does this must have a lot of ...
Most people have never heard of DOT Foods in Mt. Sterling, Illinois. Midwest Food Bank is fortunate to have a partnership with DOT Foods which is the largest food serve redistribution company in the United States. DOT Foods employs 4,200 people and was founded in 1960 by Robert and Dorothy Tracy. On average about two semi-loads of food are do...
Deb Amdor and Karen Cushing are familiar faces at Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal. Out of the thousands of volunteers, they are being recognized as our 2018 Volunteers of the Year, for going above and beyond in giving of their time and talent. Deb has an unrelenting dedication to data entry and took on the very big job of entering the vo...
State Farm employees took part in an energetic celebration on December 20, 2018. Set to highlight the incredible impact the organization's employees have on their communities, the State Farm Holiday Celebration of Good was live-streamed to locations across the United States, including Offices in Arizona, Georgia and Texas....
Midwest Food Bank has a mutually beneficial relationship with so many of our volunteers. They often tell us how good they feel when volunteering. And of course, MFB gets the benefit of the volunteers' help in so many ways. With the help of volunteers, MFB is able to use over 99¢ for every dollar donated on those in need. Two groups have been o...
Midwest Food Bank is actively involved in Hurricane Florence relief. We will be posting updates and volunteer opportunities here. We appreciate your interest and your involvement. To learn more and/or to donate visit: https://midwestfoodbank.org/hurricane-florence-relief Thank you!
Amazon Smile is a program that directs 0.5% of the price of your purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. It's the same Amazon - same prices, same service. You are simply telling Amazon where you would like their chartable donations to go. When you sign up, you will be asked which charity you would like Amazon to support. In the sea...
"I am appreciative of Midwest Food Bank's service to those in need," says Larry Dietz, President of Illinois State University. That appreciation led Dietz to bring his cabinet for an extended visit Tuesday, April 3. After meeting CFO Eric Hodel and Executive Director Chad Bevers, the group toured our facility. To complete the experience, they...
Senior day! For many people of a certain age, this phrase means a day doing something fun. After all, when you're a senior in high school, you are the king or queen of your domain. At Tri-Valley High School, Tuesday April 10, 2018 was senior day. The rest of the school was taking those all-important tests and the seniors were allowed to skip. Their...
When our current facility was purchased and renovated, two generous donors approached us with a unique vision - an area for volunteering, meeting, recreation and eating. The end result is the community center, an interconnected kitchen/dining space, conference room, service project space and two basketball/volleyball courts. Groups can meet, work ...
Illinois weather. If it's not what you want, stick around. It'll change soon. So it happened on Saturday, June 9, the day of the Food Bank Flyer, a bike ride to benefit Midwest Food Bank. The morning was beautiful for a bike ride, cool with no breeze. Suddenly, storm clouds appeared and a much-needed heavy rainfall began. It was much-needed, ...