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.&...
The pandemic created uncertainty in so many ways. Food pantries across the United States saw an increase in people utilizing their services. Pantry 279 in rural, southern Indiana went from serving about 3,500 people each month to 6,000-8,000 people each month. "Midwest Food Bank stepped up and allowed us to come to their warehouse extra times ...
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...
Matt McKaig has been the Operations Manager at MFB Indiana for just over a year. He grew up on a dairy farm and has a younger sister and twin brother. Matt received a degree in agriculture from Purdue University and has worked for a veterinarian and cattle broker after college and then in the seed corn business. He is married to Mich...
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...
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 ...
Cereal and related products (granola and breakfast bars) are great things for Midwest Food Bank to give to our partner nonprofits. They are shelf-stable, appeal to all ages, and support three of our main programs: Food for Nonprofits, Disaster Relief, and Hope Packs. In the past, we would purchase these products. That's one reason we are so thankfu...
Midwest Food Bank has been actively responding to disasters in 2021. Hurricanes Henri and Ida are the latest opportunities MFB has had to support disaster victims in the US. Hurricane Ida formed on August 23, a notable date in hurricane history. Midwest Food Bank began offering Disaster Relief with Hurricane Katrina, which formed on the same date i...
Who better to lead an addiction-recovery program than someone who has been through the program himself? That is the case for Anthony Thompson, Director of Saul to Paul Ministries of Ellettsville, Indiana. Saul to Paul is a 7-month residential discipleship program for men dealing with addictions. The men are "flooded with the Word of God"...
Starving college student. We've probably all used that phrase. It conjures up stereotypical images of a young man or woman making ramen noodles over a hotplate. The thought makes us smile. For some, the phrase is not a stereotype. Nor is it something to smile about. Based on school and location, food insecurity rates on college and university ...
Reflecting on the first half of 2021, Midwest Food Bank is thankful for the Lord's blessings as we continue to grow and serve from our 12 locations across the US, Kenya, and Haiti. Our generous donors and dedicated volunteer family encourage and support us in the fight against food insecurity. Some of the progress made this year includes the follow...
As a faith-based organization, it is the mission of Midwest Food Bank to share the love of Christ by alleviating hunger and malnutrition locally and throughout the world and providing disaster relief; all without discrimination. -Mission statement of Midwest Food Bank Our mission of sharing the love of Christ is accomplished primarily th...
Bradley Schwab is a 6th grader at Sterling Middle School. He was born with dwarfism, a unique medical condition that results in short stature. Despite his size, Bradley is a towering presence in the hearts of many people. He is the life of his classroom and a joy to his teachers. Like many other students at Sterling Middle Schoo...
In 1998, Phaedrea Harrison, Carl Woods, and Keith Grady, under the leadership of Rev. Charles R. Harrison, started the Barnes UMC "Taste of Heaven" Feeding Ministry. The vision was to provide a weekly meal for those in need with healthy, home-cooked hot food. Members of the congregation donated their time, talent, and recipes toward...
Sharing the love of Christ by alleviating hunger is core to the mission of Midwest Food Bank. "Serving Those in Need" is the first of our values. Care for our food recipients is at the core of everything we do. This same loving care extends to our volunteers, our nonprofit partners, and our staff. Providing a safe environment is one of the ways Mid...
Young and old, child and adult, we all love celebrating a birthday! At Midwest Food Bank, we enjoy celebrating with you. Here are 5 ways we equip you to celebrate your own birthday or someone else's: 1. Tribute Gift: When you donate online, you can make your gift a tribute to celebrate a birthday. Midwest Food Bank will send a card to the person yo...
The passion of the Midwest Food Bank employees and volunteers is contagious. Just ask Jan Murphy, a Midwest Food Bank Share Partner (a donor offering a regularly scheduled contribution). She is the former Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. In 2018, ISU President, Larry Dietz, encour...
Midwest Food Bank has again received a coveted four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation's top charity evaluator. MFB has received this recognition every year since 2011. Only 4% of charities are given a four-star rating for nine consecutive years. The rating is based on MFB's demonstration of robust financial health a...
