At Midwest Food Bank Arizona, part of our mission is to provide Disaster Relief in times of crisis, bringing hope and essential supplies to those who need them most. Recently, when Ruidoso, New Mexico, was devastated by the McBride Fire and subsequent flash floods, we stepped in and offered support. The McBride Fire, which ravaged over 6,000 acres ...
We often hear this question: "Why is all this food donated?" In 2023 alone, we distributed over $482 million worth of food. Midwest Food Bank partners with food producers, manufacturers, and distributors to save products. Sometimes, the food is something they can't sell. This may result from market challenges due to economic changes, shifting consu...
ARIZONA Beyond MFB: A Volunteer's Compassion At Midwest Food Bank, we witness countless acts of kindness from our volunteers every day. One such volunteer, Rosemary, dedicates her time to the bi-weekly food box distribution at her church, St. Matthew's United Methodist. This church operates a food pantry that serves around 50 families ev...
Side by side is how Sun Valley Community Church and Midwest Food Bank Arizona work. The partnership started when Sun Valley was much smaller, and church leaders had initial conversations with MFB about volunteer opportunities. Those conversations have turned into a partnership that is constantly growing and evolving. "The church appreciat...
Midwest Food Bank values our donors and we steward every gift with integrity. We frequently receive questions about various ways to give to MFB and one mechanism - Donor-Advised Funds - is a way donors have partnered with MFB to achieve their giving goals and benefit our mission. A Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is a type of giving program that allows yo...
For the first time in history, enough food is produced to feed everyone. Globally, farmers are growing over 22 billion pounds of produce every day, enough to provide every person on the planet almost twice, according to the Farm Link Project. It's not about having enough food; it's about getting the roughly 30-40% of the wasted US food supply into ...
Pick up an empty box and bring it back full. This straightforward idea can provide thousands of meals to Arizona's needy families. Midwest Food Bank is organizing this Holiday Meal Kit program with an ambitious goal of 2,500 meal kits. The Navajo Nation will receive 500; the remainder will be given to MFB partnering agencies. "This is our third yea...
Dollar for dollar - that's the way the Arizona tax credit works for donations made to Qualified Charitable Organizations (QCO). That means you receive $1 off taxes owed for every $1 donated to QCOs. Arizona is one of the few states that offers this incentive that benefits charitable organizations, like Midwest Food Bank, and taxpayers. This year, t...
A healthy start is a challenge for children in East Africa. That start can impact them for the rest of their life. Kapu Africa (Midwest Food Bank East Africa) isn't backing away from big goals to provide that healthy start by reducing stunting in Kenya and across East Africa. What is stunting? It is when a child has a low height fo...
Independence and hope are two things Happy Tails Service Dogs provide to their clients in the Phoenix area. For more than 25 years, this nonprofit has helped people with disabilities train their own service dogs, all free of charge. These weekly classes, held for 15 months, give their clients the tools to train their dogs in up to 25 commands speci...
Grief was channeled into faithfulness 15 years ago when Georgina Johnston's two-year-old daughter passed away.During that time, Georgina's sister suggested they do something for the Lord. That something was taking $500 of their own money to buy food, taking it to the streets of Phoenix, Chandler, and Mesa, and giving it to people who need it. ...
Perceptions and reality don't always match up. You might be surprised to learn that 53% of food-insecure people work full-time.So, the suggestion "Why don't they just get a job?" falls flat for more than half the people choosing between putting gas in their car, paying a utility bill, or going to the grocery store.The USDA defines food insecurity a...
Keep or pitch? That's the question everyone faces when cleaning out a refrigerator or a pantry. The date on the product is usually the determining factor if it stays or goes. But those dates are one of the biggest reasons that 30-40 percent of food in the United States is thrown away even though it is still safe to consume. The dates printed ...
MFB began a partnership with Amazon as a food donor in 2020. Since then, Amazon has provided loads of product across the MFB footprint and is a valued food donor for the organization. Some divisions have picked up Amazon Fresh regular loads - a tremendous source of nutritious and fresh food. That partnership continues to grow and expand in exciting...
The options at a vending machine in Gilbert during the holiday season didn't include snacks or soft drinks. Instead, selections included hygiene kits, meals, or disaster relief boxes. It's a unique concept of "give instead of get" at these mobile vending machines. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates these red mobile machines as...
For the past five years, Rick Duley has been a dedicated warehouse volunteer for Midwest Food Bank Arizona. That experience will come in handy for MFB. He joined the staff as the Warehouse Coordinator in March."Rick has a positive demeanor, a strong focus on safety, and takes time to listen to volunteers and agencies," says Merilee Baptiste, Execut...
Midwest Food Bank values our donors, and we make effective use of every gift with integrity. We frequently receive questions about various ways to give to MFB, and one mechanism – IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution - is a way that benefits donors and MFB. Making an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) You can donate up to $100,000 in...
How Melanie Tennell became the new Marketing Director at MFB is a "God story." She felt a little unsettled in her previous position at Pekin Insurance when her former boss Jackie reached out to her. Jackie connected Melanie with her acquaintance, Jada Hoerr, MFB Chief Resource Officer. "God's timing prevails," says Melanie. "Every. Single. Tim...
When Midwest Food Bank opens a new location, one of the first tasks is finding and equipping volunteers. When MFB Arizona was established in 2016, Linda Siggins was the person that took on that role. While she left MFB for a time, we are grateful she has returned as the Volunteer Coordinator this year. "Linda has a warm smile and a heart...
Have you ever wondered what a nonprofit board does? Like all nonprofits, Midwest Food Bank is governed by a board of Directors. These twelve volunteers provide strategic and financial oversight for the organization. Additionally, each of the twelve MFB locations has an advisory board. While the employees lead the daily operations, the board pl...
