After several months of short-term ministry work in Nairobi, Kenya, Dan Verhoef sought God's direction for the next season of his life. He felt moved to expand his volunteer role at Midwest Food Bank Georgia. At the same time, MFB Georgia was discussing a need for more Core Volunteers. Dan now fulfills the role of Core Volunteer, assisting Jef...
In her professional career, Anne Ambwere chose the ethical path. It's a walk that helped her as the leader of Jamii SACCO in East Africa. SACCO stands for Savings and Credit Cooperative Society, and it is a membership-based financial institution. Under her 20-year leadership, Jamii SACCO has become highly profitable while still maintaining core val...
Podcasts are here to stay, and they have exploded in popularity. Consider this: there are about 4.5 million podcasts registered globally, and 57% of people in the US have listened to at least one podcast (according to thepodcasthost.com). Because podcasts are easily accessible and allow listeners to zero in on content that interests them whene...
In Lodwar, Turkana County, Kenya, the soil may be dry, sandy, and challenging for things to thrive, but the children at Ngakoriyek Academy are growing every day. "Our learners were happy to drink porridge at 9 a.m. and eat rice for lunch for the first time on February 21 of this year," says Andrew Musundi, a retired teacher who founded and directs&...
The numbers are in for 2021, and it was a year of blessings. Midwest Food Bank spent $14 million and distributed $430 million worth of food. Put another way, for every dollar donated to MFB, $31 worth of food was given to those in need. MFB serves nearly 2,100 nonprofit partner agencies. Generous donors and dedicated volunteers make those numbers p...
Midwest Food Bank has again received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation's top charity evaluator. MFB has received this recognition every year since 2011. Only 3% of charities receive a four-star rating for ten consecutive years. The rating is based on MFB's demonstration of robust financial health and its commitment to accountabi...
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...
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...
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...
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...
In 2007, Chipo Makaya started to go to Mji Wa Huruma to teach the Bible to children at a nursery school Tumaini Nursery. At that time, she realized that the children were not comprehending as much as her own daughter, who was the same age. The Makayas visited friends and supporters in the US and shared the vision to start a library for Mj...
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 ...
As Midwest Food Bank grows in size, we also want to grow in understanding. Understanding the stories of our food recipients helps us fulfill our mission. With every food recipient we meet, we grow in compassion and humility. We appreciate their willingness to partner with us and are honored to learn their stories and share them with you. We w...
It seems unlikely that a church based in North Carolina would have something to do with a Kapu Africa (Midwest Food Bank East Africa) volunteer event. Yet it happened during Elevation Church's outreach, "Love Week." Elevation Church in Matthews, NC, Has members who watch services from around the world. Their "Love Week" is a concerted eff...
Midwest Food Bank is pleased to announce the hire of Nate Westerfield as our new IT Director. He began at MFB on September 7 and will work part-time through October. Beginning November 1, he will transition to full-time and be located in Morton, IL division. Nate brings more than 20 years of IT experience to MFB. Most recently, Nate has served as t...
Midwest Food Bank has been actively responding to disasters in 2021. Hurricanes Henri and Ida are the latest opportunities MFB has had to support disaster victims in the US. Hurricane Ida formed on August 23, a notable date in hurricane history. Midwest Food Bank began offering Disaster Relief with Hurricane Katrina, which formed on the same date i...
One of our newer nonprofit partnerships is with Vote Jesus (Jesus is the Answer - World Outreach Ministries). Helping the families of the differently abled is the main focus of Vote Jesus. These disabilities include cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and amputations. They also support a population of neglected elderly people. Vote Jesus is a ...
Young and old, child and adult, we all love celebrating a birthday! At Midwest Food Bank, we enjoy celebrating with you. Here are 5 ways we equip you to celebrate your own birthday or someone else's: 1. Tribute Gift: When you donate online, you can make your gift a tribute to celebrate a birthday. Midwest Food Bank will send a card to the person yo...
