Midwest Food Bank began an organization-wide focus on safety in 2021. Rather than being a one-time effort, this initiative is ongoing with specific goals. It was an opportunity to evaluate and strengthen safety measures already in place. Mike Hoffman, MBF's Inventory and Logistics Director, leads the safety initiative. "Providing a safe work e...

Midwest Food Bank Values include Embrace Our Communities and Empowering Volunteers. One of the ways we do this is by providing clean, efficient, safe, and comfortable gathering places. At MFB, we work hard to maintain clean, inviting warehouses. To keep them well maintained and organized, we have standards, prioritize investment, and have safety co...

While food insecurity is rapidly rising, the world is expected to waste 2.1 million tons of food annually by 2030, according to Yale research. In the United States alone, $408 billion was spent on food in 2021 that was never eaten. That's nearly a quarter of US food going to waste instead of to those who need it. On Tuesday, July 12, 2022, Mid...

Tender Mercies meals are designed by dieticians to be more than a rice and beans meal. There is nutrition in every bag. Every serving of Tender Mercies has: • The calcium of one glass of milk• The iron of two and a half cups of spinach.• The potassium of two bananas.• The protein of 3 ounces of fish. With such a nutritious product, MFB wondere...

Give a group of energetic teenagers some paint brushes, and before you know it, a project is done. That's what happened this summer when about 30 police officers and teens, ages 14-18, from the Mesa Youth Leadership Academy volunteered at Midwest Food Bank Arizona. The group painted the curbing, parking lines, and safety zones at MFB's parking...

When people think about donating to Midwest Food Bank, they often think of the three Cs: Cash, Check, Credit card. While these three are very common, there are many ways to make a contribution to MFB. We understand our donors appreciate the opportunity to give in a variety of ways. To make it easy for donors, MFB has assembled instructions and insi...

Fixing and helping - that's how Randy Maestre is putting "love your neighbor" into action. Randy is the owner of Christian Brothers Automotive in Gilbert and a supporter of Midwest Food Bank Arizona. He organizes groups to come to MFB to volunteer and also uses his business in a unique way to build awareness for MFB and gather donations. His "DipJa...

We've all felt the pinch of rising food and gas prices. But for people who fall into the category of "food insecure," those prices create a budget where the math can't add up. It's not just a hunch that prices are rising. The Consumer Price Index shows an 8.8% increase in food prices in March 2022, the most significant 12-month advance since May 19...

The numbers say Midwest Food Bank gave about $430 million worth of food at no cost to about 2,100 food partners in the U.S. and around the world in 2021. That $430 million number represents the food those food partners receive from MFB - at no cost. That's a big deal as it allows them to use their money in other areas of their ministries - like fue...

Senior executives from Vanguard's Global Investment Operations recently met at MFB Arizona to hold a business strategy session. One of their agenda items was "learn about Midwest Food Bank."  During that session Vanguard employees also did hands-on volunteering repackaging bulk food. MFB frequently receives corporate donations o...

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...