Midwest Food Bank Texas welcomes three new board members. These willing volunteers help MFB bridge the gap between prosperity and poverty in Texas. While their backgrounds are unique, they share a commitment to faith, family, and community. Please help us welcome Mylinh Luong, Jeff Talley, and Kim Nguyen.
Mylinh Luong - In 1978, Mylinh's family was part of 2 million "boat people" who fled Vietnam after the Communist takeover. It was a harrowing time when they lost all of their possessions and nearly their lives. That journey and the help her family received from faith-based organizations left a lasting impression. "Despite this turbulent and terrifying childhood, I learned to be resilient, resourceful, and to rejoice due to my faith in Jesus Christ," says Mylinh.
She currently is the strategic sourcing manager at Dairy Farmers of America, the largest dairy producer in the U.S. She is also active in Orchid Giving Circle, which provides many services for the Asian community, the North Texas Food Bank, and her church nursery.
Mylinh also cares for her elderly parents and a brother with medical challenges. Luke 12:35 is one of her favorite verses: "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamp burning."
"I have been blessed and take seriously the call to always be ready to serve others in the name of Christ," says Mylinh.
Jeff Talley - Jeff and his wife, Shelli, have four teenage boys. He is the director of Enterprise Operations Center at BNSF Railways and has worked there for 23 years. He oversees the technology availability and support for internal customers.
"I am excited to be on the MFB Texas Board and to take that passion my family has for backpack ministry to our communities," says Jeff.
Jeff and Shelli are active in their church, and Jeff plays bass in the worship band. They also are both involved in homeschooling their boys and their activities, including basketball and 4-H.
Jeff's favorite Bible verse is 1 John 3:18: "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."
Kim Nguyen - Kim is mother to a 13-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son. She honors her late husband by involvement in the Muscular Dystrophy Association, which took his life.
She is an optometrist and for 20 years had a private practice. She recently sold that to concentrate on overseeing her children's virtual learning and caring for her elderly mother.
Kim is also teaching the Faith Formation Sunday School class at her church for her daughter's class. She plans to return to optometry and patient care in the future but is using this time now to invest in real estate and write a book about her family's experience as Vietnamese refugees.
Her favorite Bible verse is Acts 20:35: "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
Please join us in welcoming Mylinh, Jeff, and Kim to the Midwest Food Bank Texas Board. We are thankful for the talents they MFB.