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 ...

Merilee Baptiste came to Arizona right after college for the sunshine. That carefree decision landed her a 22-year career at Vanguard and eventually, Midwest Food Bank. On Feb. 1, Merilee joined the MFB team as Executive Director of MFB Arizona.  Merilee had been volunteering at various non-profits and started volunteering at MF...

 Every day at Midwest Food Bank Arizona, we bear witness to small miracles and huge acts of faith. Consider our rapidly growing Tucson satellite facility run by volunteer leaders Curt and Caroline Kaufman. The Tucson site operates Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings and is staffed entirely by volunteers. For the Kaufmans, the idea for the ...

The Mesa Country Club will be the site for Midwest Food Bank Arizona's first-ever "Be The Blessing" Dinner and Gala set for Saturday, March 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. David Kieser, founder, president and CEO of MFB will be the featured speaker at the event. The focus of the evening will be on informing, inspiring and inviting -  informing a...

Longtime PGA Tour golf professional Ted Purdy has gone from golf driving to fork lift driving. Ted joined MFB Arizona as Community Relations Director in December 2019. He recently finished tied for 58th place in the PGA's Bermuda Championship. Ted, a University of Arizona business graduate, has won tournaments on the Asian Tour, the Web.c...

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...

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 ...

Creativity and thoughtfulness can result in unexpected blessings for a non-profit organization. For example, Hello Fresh, the popular meal kit delivery business recently implemented an in-house recycling operation to benefit the people served by Midwest Food Bank. The ingredients for Hello Fresh's meals are shipped in specially insulated boxes...

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....

Midwest Food Bank welcomes Lisa Martin to our family of employees. As the New Executive Director of the Morton location, Lisa will coordinate operations there. Responsibilities include directing warehouse and volunteer activity, community outreach, and overseeing financial and budgetary operations. Additionally, Lisa will serve ...

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. ...

The Sun Valley Community Church (SVCC) has been blessing Midwest Food Bank Arizona for quite a while. We appreciate their hearts for those in need and their support.  Last year, MFB Arizona has the opportunity to help the victims of the destructive wildfires in California. SVCC took a special offering to support our disaster relief. During Jun...

Midwest Food Bank Arizona has a thriving partnership with The Vanguard Group, investment advisors. Their support is lively and encouraging.During the last half of June, Vanguard held its annual "All Cans on Deck" food drive. More than just a food collection, All Cans on Deck is a two-week extravaganza. A partial list of activities includes: bake sa...

As valley temperatures start to flirt with triple digits, State Farm employees at the company's Marina Heights campus in Tempe, AZ just completed a hydration drive. The drive tripled its goal and garnered 160,000 bottles of water to donate to Midwest Food Bank Arizona. In order to be distributed the cases of water needed to be palletized. Ente...

At Midwest Food Bank Arizona, we promote the Arizona Tax Credit as a benefit to donors. Arizona allows taxpayers the choice of giving tax payments to non-profit organizations rather than the state. Your charitable donations can have the dramatic effect of reducing your tax bill. (More details here.) Believing that this is an amazing benefit to Ariz...

Satellite distributions allow Midwest Food Bank to share the blessings with non-profit feeding programs not close to us. Until now, Tucson was the only one satellite distribution for MFB Arizona.  May 2, 2019 was the first pick-up for distribution in Flagstaff, AZ. MFB Arizona has been working with the Flagstaff Family Food Center an...

Midwest Food Bank Arizona was one of three charitable organizations highlighted at the recent Arizona Multihousing Association event at the Phoenix Convention Center. Kowalski Construction invited us to join them at their booth and highlight food insecurity. The theme of the event was "The Hero in You." Visitors to the Kowalski Construction di...

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 ...

​We appreciate the many truck drivers that make their way through our facility. Whether they are volunteer drivers or professionals bringing in a donated load, we want them to know they are valued. In February, Midwest Food Bank Arizona debuted its drivers lounge. What was an unused office space with a beautiful shower (installed by the previous ow...