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...
Some people have a way of filling up a room with a positive atmosphere. Take JC, one of the adults that volunteer at Midwest Food Bank, Arizona. JC loves to wear hats and was the inspiration behind a "hat day" at MFB. She is one of a handful of adults from Special Needs Services who volunteer three days a week at the food bank. They come with a job...
It was a team effort on Super Bowl Sunday in Chandler when volunteers worked with a local church to give family food boxes to people that need them. It started before that with a $40,000 grant from the City of Chandler to Midwest Food Bank Arizona. The grant was specifically for food boxes in low-income areas of the city. On that Sunday, volunteers...
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...
Time and money - that is what Sun Valley Church shares with Midwest Food Bank Arizona. The church has six locations in the metro-Phoenix area and often schedules times for staff and the congregation to volunteer at the MFB warehouse. The church has also supported MFB financially in the past, specifically the California wildfires in 2017-18.&nb...
Businesses across the country went remote at the beginning of the pandemic. Employees were meeting through Zoom instead of face-to-face. New employees were introduced remotely. Now that many organizations are returning to the office, employees need to meet in person, whether to renew acquaintance or meet for the first time. After working...
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...
As a faith-based organization, it is the mission of the Midwest Food Bank to share the love of Christ by alleviating hunger ad malnutrition locally and throughout the world and providing disaster relief; all without discrimination. MFB is about people. Food Recipients - We work to put food into the hands of the food insecure.&...
Most US households are "food secure," meaning they have consistent access to enough food for healthy, active living. However, some households lack access to adequate food due to a lack of money or other resources. These homes are called "food insecure." Midwest Food Bank turns to the US Department of Agriculture's annual report on household fo...
At Midwest Food Bank, we often say our volunteers are the "secret sauce." That's why we like to tell you about these special people. Brandon Letner is one of them. Brandon volunteers at MFB Arizona as a semi-truck driver. He started volunteering in 2018 and is also currently leading the Holiday Turkey Challenge Food Drive. Mile...
One way people volunteer at Midwest Food Bank is by signing up as a group. The Phoenix Peace Corps group volunteers at least quarterly at MFB Arizona. Here is what a few of them had to say about volunteering at MFB Arizona: "I enjoy working alongside many other heart-centered people who want to be of service and help to others. The collaboration an...
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...
Abby Anderson is taking what she is learning in the classroom at Arizona State University and putting it into practice at Midwest Food Bank Arizona. She is currently finishing her degree at ASU in nonprofit leadership and management. Abby has joined MFB as a full-time volunteer intern. "I wanted to serve at Midwest Food Bank because I bel...
Two courses, 165 golfers, and plenty of sunshine made the 2nd Annual Golf Classic a success for Midwest Food Bank Arizona. The mid-September event was held at the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club in Phoenix, which features two courses - The Links and The Adobe. Golfers had a chance to compete against a junior league golfer and two pro golfers.&...
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...
At Midwest Food Bank, we are surrounded by unsung heroes every day. Our business model relies heavily on a strong volunteer base. Volunteers fill many roles, such as bookkeeper, receptionist, file clerk, building maintenance, forklift operator, cook, volunteer leader, food distributor. These vital jobs are done with love, warmth, and joy as people ...