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...
Knowing about something and experiencing it firsthand are two different things. A community health course at Bradley University takes book knowledge to a real-life experience through a poverty simulation exercise. The class also connects the dots for students as they learn how food pantries and food banks work together and how those resources can h...
During the last ten years, Brittany Parker and her husband have started a family and put down some roots. In 2020, when the youngest of her four children went to kindergarten, she decided it was time to start giving back to her community. "I wanted to contribute to the community and found Midwest Food Bank's mission to be authentic and genuine...
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...
The operations of Midwest Food Bank Morton are different than other MFB divisions as it serves as the packaging and logistics warehouse for all of Midwest Food Bank. By being the hub for coordinating and managing certain operations, MFB Morton creates efficiencies for the entire organization. An example of this synergy is the MFB Tender Mercies pro...
At many Midwest Food Bank locations, volunteers serve from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). Their words describe their time of missionary calling: "As missionaries, we leave our homes for 18-24 months and go wherever we're called. We spend our time serving others and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people ...
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...
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...
Midwest Food Bank is often the beneficiary of charitable efforts by local businesses. These fundraisers bring awareness of food insecurity and MFB's mission while providing donors with fun perks. 210 Financial's Pumpkin Pie Giveaway is a perfect example. Morton-based 210 Financial recently offered their customers a free pumpkin pie in exchange for ...
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.&...
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...
What a difference two months makes. We spotlighted Brent Reddish as a volunteer in the last eNewsletter. Now, Brent has joined the staff of MFB Morton as Operations Manager. Brent will oversee and facilitate warehouse activities and manage the purchasing and inventory for Tender Mercies - an MFB meal program. His experience in sales...
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...
When busy work schedules and family life started to slow down and transition to the next phase, Brent and Jeanne Reddish decided to look for a place to share their time. That search led them to Midwest Food Bank Morton after talking with Gib Rapp, an active board member for MFB East Africa. "Gib's passion and information about MFB gave us...
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 ...
The three Central Illinois locations of Midwest Food Bank enjoyed the opportunity to share our mission with the community while raising funds. Taste and Tour is just what it sounds like: a great Taste-ing meal after a Tour of MFB. Taste and Tour 2021 was held on August 21 at the Bloomington-Normal, Morton, and Peoria MFB locations. Between 4 and 7 ...
