MFB employees participate in Leadership Development Program

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.
•  Volunteers - As a volunteer-driven ministry, we want our volunteer experience to be exceptional.  
• Donors - Donors who give their hard-earned dollars can be assured MFB is making effective use of donations. 
• Nonprofit partners - Our service to nonprofit partner agencies enables them to serve others.

One other important piece of the MFB mission is our employees. To be an industry-leading food bank, MFB makes certain employees are given the tools and resources needed to best do their jobs. To that end, Midwest Food Bank recently set aside two days for employees to participate in the MFB Leadership Development Program.

On September 15 and 16, and November 9 and 10, 2021, two groups of MFB employees met at our location in Bloomington, Illinois. There were representatives from Midwest Food Bank locations in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New England, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Central Illinois. The program had three goals:

• Embracing the MFB strategy and culture.
• Strengthening employee leadership skills.
• Building employee engagement and teamwork.

Presenters included MFB senior staff, national and regional board members, and community leaders and pastors. Topics included effective communication, project management, volunteer empowerment, and prioritization. 

Woven throughout the sessions was the component of faith, so important to MFB. National Board member, Bill Leman, lead a discussion of Proverbs. At the end of the two-day meetings, employees parted with stronger relationships and a clearer vision of their role at MFB.

All of the people in the Midwest Food Bank model are vital - from the dedicated volunteers to the generous donors, to the employees providing support. And all are working together to meet the needs of those receiving the food.