Midwest Food Bank, Bloomington-Normal kicked off 2021 by honoring volunteers of the year. Three volunteers were recognized on Jan. 6. Danny Isle - Danny volunteers in Fairfield, a remote distribution site for Bloomington-Normal, and has been serving at that location since it started. He is on-site to help other volunteers and he does main...
Midwest Food Bank was the winner of the State Farm Holiday Classic basketball tournament in 2020. While the tournament was canceled, the committee decided to honor the tradition of the tournament by organizing its first food drive, benefitting Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal. Organizers asked teams that would have participated in the tour...
As the pandemic continues, more people are learning about food insecurity and understanding what existed before COVID-19 and how more families now need assistance. A group of people in Connecticut are not just learning. They are taking action. Their willingness to serve is the reason Midwest Food Bank announced the opening of a...
At Midwest Food Bank, Share Partners make a continual positive impact. They donate a set amount on a regular schedule - weekly, monthly, or quarterly. If you think our Share Partners are all wealthy retirees giving huge amounts, we'd like to introduce you to Allysha. Allysha Nordyke lives in Los Angeles, CA, and works for the government. She i...
While the impact of the Coronavirus Relief bill of March 2020 had far-reaching effects, there is a lesser-known benefit in the bill. It's a benefit that helps charitable givers AND charities $300 Charitable Giving Deduction Taxpayers who don't itemize their deductions (that's most of us) can take advantage of a special $300 tax deduction. In t...
In a nearly decade-long tradition, Midwest Food Bank joined local organizations to provide Thanksgiving meals to those in need. This tradition (now called "Give Thanks") has grown over time, as have the organizations involved. Last weekend, MFB, in partnership with Home Sweet Home Ministries and Thrivent, held Give Thanks 2...
As we near the end of 2020 it's hard to know what holidays will look like this year. The large family gatherings or church traditions may be different but one thing stays the same - the desire to bring meaning to Christmas by helping those around us. We thought it would be helpful to provide some ideas (links below) on how to give and experience ho...
The term "food desert" is becoming more common but if you don't live in a food desert, it's hard to know what that means. A food desert is a geographical area with little to no access to healthy, affordable, nutritious food. People that live in these areas might have a corner convenience store or gas station that carries milk or limited produ...
Midwest Food Bank, hosted Brandon Lipps and Tim English, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in late October. Brandon is the Deputy Under Secretary for the USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, and Tim is the Midwest Regional Administrator. Mr. Lipps reached out and requested a tour of the MFB location in Normal, Illinois after reviewing ...
A simple internet search, a love for fashion, and a desire to help people around the world - that's how Meri Barnes, CEO and founder of California based The Shop Forward, connected with Midwest Food Bank. The apparel company supports a variety of causes including disaster relief. The recent derecho in Iowa and hurricanes in the southeast...
Midwest Food Bank congratulates the World Food Programme for receiving the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. We are thankful for the efforts of the WFP and fully agree that their impact is worthy of this world-class recognition. WFP is a leading humanitarian organization and addresses hunger and promotes food security worldwide. In 2019, WFP provided assista...
Today, October 16, is World Food Day. It's an internationally recognized day in honor of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945. It's celebrated by organizations concerned with food insecurity. World Food Day meshes well with of mission of alleviating hunger. This year's theme, "Grow, Nourish, Sustain. T...
COVID-19 created a disruption in the US food supply chain. Food producers and suppliers were unable to have food processed and transported. The USDA created the Farmers to Families Food Program to support US farmers and distributors and get that food to people that need it. The program has been authorized through the end of 2020. Midwest Food Bank ...
Midwest Food Bank is able to alleviate hunger for those in need due to the generous support received in the form of food donations, volunteer hours and dollar contributions. These are the key inputs to the MFB Business Model. Some of our donors have given non-cash items to MFB. These include cars, stocks, real estate, collectibles, grain...
Every industry has a "language" and food banks are no different. At Midwest Food Bank we use words like "hunger" and "food insecurity" on a regular basis. But, what do those words really mean? Hunger – This is a physical condition that is caused by a lack of food. Food Insecurity – The USDA defines this as the "lack of consistent access to enough f...
Hope Packs, Midwest Food Bank's student weekend feeding program, is in full swing for the 2020-2021 school year. MFB Bloomington-Normal anticipates feeding 3,400 students from 51 schools this year. These students receive food every weekend throughout the school year, providing consistent access to nourishment. Like almost everything this year...
The arrival of Fall finds MFB Bloomington-Normal in the middle of Big Give and preparing for Operation Give Thanks. Both events are centered around providing Thanksgiving meals for those in need. MFB partners with Home Sweet Home Ministries and Thrivent to make this all happen. We anticipate more households will be in need this year due to the fina...
When visitors come to Midwest Food Bank for the first time they are often surprised by the size of our warehouses and the amount of food on our shelves. They aren't expecting forklifts, pallets, and semi-trucks. That's when the conversation turns to the difference between a food bank and a food pantry. Food banks – Midwest Food Bank, like other foo...
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...
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...
