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...
There's a friendly new face at MFB Florida. Kelly Apfel has joined our staff as Community Relations Coordinator beginning Monday, September 21. In her new role, Kelly will be coordinating and developing donor relations, and community partnerships for MFB Florida. This role involves pursuing grants, working with volunteers, securing fundin...
"Sure, I can do that." Mary Hohulin has never let a desire to stay in her comfort zone stand in the way of her career, volunteer pursuits, and challenging activities. And, fortunately … so far, so good. Mary has been volunteering up to forty hours a week for Midwest Food Bank Florida. She serves as a bookkeeper, keeping tra...
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...
Midwest Food Bank has been shipping Disaster Relief all over the US since March (stories here and here). Family food boxes have have been helping people affected by business closures and layoffs. Volunteers have been assembling, filling, and driving food boxes every week. The Tender Mercies packing machine has been running non-stop, setting new pro...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
This is an unprecedented season of Disaster Relief at Midwest Food Bank. Responding to the needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is posing unique challenges. Most states are experiencing work suspensions and quarantines, causing food insecurity. Rather than sending relief to a single disaster area, our partner, The Salvation Army, has been re...
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 ...
Tender Mercies, Midwest Food Bank's packaged rice and beans meal is headquartered in the Morton, Illinois division. As a way of showcasing the product and facilitating the volunteer experience, MFB Morton began hosting offsite packing events in 2018. Initially, these events were held in Central Illinois, but they have expanded to Midwest Food Bank ...
Late in 2019, two business publications have recently had favorable things to say about Midwest Food Bank. Business.org published a list of "The Best Charities for Your Money in Every State." Midwest Food Bank was selected as the best charity for your money in Illinois. Based on transparency and program expense, each of the fifty chariti...
The work of Midwest Food Bank Florida is only possible by the grace of God and the assistance of an army of dedicated people. Generous donors provide the means to run the operation and procure food. Volunteers manage a number of tasks that would normally be done by paid staff. Our partner agencies take the food and place it in the hands of those in...
At Midwest Food Bank, we are thankful for partners who can get the food we supply into the hands of those who need it. Agape Flights fills a unique need by airlifting food into difficult-to-reach areas. In November, MFB Florida provided over 950 pounds of snack food items to Agape Flights. They were able to get the food to Les Cayes, Haiti, where i...
Humility = Success. This is just one of the many pieces of wisdom shared by David Kieser, Midwest Food Bank's President and Founder, during a podcast interview on The Savvy Sauce. Laura Dugger, The Savvy Sauce host, invited David to share some of the "God stories" he has experienced at MFB. During the 84th episode of the weekly podcast, David ...
Midwest Food Bank is committed to helping the hungry of this world. However, we're concerned with more than just how much food we can provide. Our mission is to alleviate hunger AND malnutrition. Alongside our dedication to filling empty stomachs, we're focused on the nutritional quality of our products. Think about your own grocery shopping....
