We often hear this question: "Why is all this food donated?" In 2023 alone, we distributed over $482 million worth of food. Midwest Food Bank partners with food producers, manufacturers, and distributors to save products. Sometimes, the food is something they can't sell. This may result from market challenges due to economic changes, shifting consu...

ARIZONA Beyond MFB: A Volunteer's Compassion  At Midwest Food Bank, we witness countless acts of kindness from our volunteers every day. One such volunteer, Rosemary, dedicates her time to the bi-weekly food box distribution at her church, St. Matthew's United Methodist. This church operates a food pantry that serves around 50 families ev...

FLORIDA Passing the volunteer torch Devoted volunteer Maxine Schneider has made an indelible mark on the Midwest Food Bank in Florida, particularly in fundraising. Her commitment has been unwavering, with a spotlight on her invaluable role in our annual Winter Harvest Dinner and Auction. As life progresses, Maxine has decided to take a step back. T...

MORTON Faculty Team-Builds through Service We were blessed to have the Metamora Grade School faculty volunteer at our warehouse. After their holiday break, the teachers and staff came together for a team-building day before the students returned to school. Filled with enthusiasm, staff members took shifts throughout the day to serve their community...

Midwest Food Bank values our donors and we steward every gift with integrity. We frequently receive questions about various ways to give to MFB and one mechanism - Donor-Advised Funds - is a way donors have partnered with MFB to achieve their giving goals and benefit our mission. A Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is a type of giving program that allows yo...

For the first time in history, enough food is produced to feed everyone. Globally, farmers are growing over 22 billion pounds of produce every day, enough to provide every person on the planet almost twice, according to the Farm Link Project. It's not about having enough food; it's about getting the roughly 30-40% of the wasted US food supply into ...

Thanks to our community, the Taste & Tour fundraiser held at MFB Morton was a remarkable success. This event brought us all together to learn, connect, and commemorate 20 years of impactful work. We recognized Midwest Food Bank's expansion and the donors and volunteers who made it possible. The behind-the-scenes warehouse tour was a highlight, ...

Meet Tony Ferguson, the friendly neighborhood lawn care hero. Since 2012, Tony has been generously mowing the lawn of the Midwest Food Bank Morton every week, free of charge. It began when his friend, MFB Morton Board Member Billy Daniel, introduced him to the food bank's mission, emphasizing how the Lord works wonders through all the volunteers. T...

Community partnerships offer great benefits to Midwest Food Bank and those we serve. MFB Morton recently received two separate grants that assist in day-to-day operations. The first was a $1,500 grant from the Morton Community Foundation. The mission of the Morton Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life for Morton area...

This year, a record number of disasters in the United States means Midwest Food Bank volunteers have been assembling food boxes to respond. In the first half of 2023, 20 loads of water, food boxes, hygiene kits and cleaning supplies were sent to support disaster victims.In June, semi-loads of water and food went from MFB's Disaster Relief...

A healthy start is a challenge for children in East Africa. That start can impact them for the rest of their life. Kapu Africa (Midwest Food Bank East Africa) isn't backing away from big goals to provide that healthy start by reducing stunting in Kenya and across East Africa.  What is stunting?  It is when a child has a low height fo...

Perceptions and reality don't always match up. You might be surprised to learn that 53% of food-insecure people work full-time.So, the suggestion "Why don't they just get a job?" falls flat for more than half the people choosing between putting gas in their car, paying a utility bill, or going to the grocery store.The USDA defines food insecurity a...

When Henry isn't in school, you can most likely find him volunteering at Midwest Food Bank in Morton."It's fun, and I get to help people," he says.At 12 years old, Henry likes baseball and swimming. He also likes to volunteer. At MFB, he is "certified" in operating the hand-held pallet jack. The day he received that certification four years ago is ...

 Keep or pitch? That's the question everyone faces when cleaning out a refrigerator or a pantry. The date on the product is usually the determining factor if it stays or goes. But those dates are one of the biggest reasons that 30-40 percent of food in the United States is thrown away even though it is still safe to consume. The dates printed ...

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller One of Midwest Food Bank's Values is "Executing through Teamwork." MFB works as a team across all of our locations and within each division. We place a high priority on collaboration, many people working together to achieve a common goal. Here at MFB Morton, we get to obse...

MFB began a partnership with Amazon as a food donor in 2020. Since then, Amazon has provided loads of product across the MFB footprint and is a valued food donor for the organization. Some divisions have picked up Amazon Fresh regular loads - a tremendous source of nutritious and fresh food. That partnership continues to grow and expand in exciting...

Midwest Food Bank values our donors, and we make effective use of every gift with integrity. We frequently receive questions about various ways to give to MFB, and one mechanism – IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution - is a way that benefits donors and MFB. Making an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) You can donate up to $100,000 in...

"I have never in my life wondered where my next meal will come from," says Daniel. "MFB is making that a reality for others who aren't as fortunate." While Daniel has done some shorter local runs, most of his driving is longer hauls teamed with other drivers. He has completed several Disaster Relief runs to Florida and has made the Thanksgiving tri...

How Melanie Tennell became the new Marketing Director at MFB is a "God story." She felt a little unsettled in her previous position at Pekin Insurance when her former boss Jackie reached out to her. Jackie connected Melanie with her acquaintance, Jada Hoerr, MFB Chief Resource Officer. "God's timing prevails," says Melanie. "Every. Single. Tim...

MFB Morton volunteers showed up big time in 2022. Have a look at the numbers: "Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization," says Lisa Martin, Executive Director of MFB Morton. "We could not do this amount of work and reach so many people without the many hours they spend in the Morton warehouse." The volunteer impact reaches far and wide...