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...
Erin Joy Graziani always said when she retired she would like to do mission work, spreading the love of Jesus Christ and helping others. She received an email in December of 2020 from a board member for Midwest Food Bank, New England, fitting that description. For 34 years Erin was the Senior Center Director for the town of Ellington. In 2020 she f...
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.&...
MFB New England has been a blur of activity as we continue to get up and running. The past four weeks of activity have transformed our facility into a food bank. After significant electrical work to prepare for our indoor cold storage, three 40 ft sea containers were maneuvered into place with only a few inches of clearance. One will be used a...
There was joy in the air at the first MFB New England food distribution (load-out) on Tuesday, November 16. After the time spent securing and preparing the facility, it was a blessing to be giving the food to agency partners. At 8 a.m., Executive Director Jan Young welcomed the group, and operations Manager Brent Carl explained the proce...
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...
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 ...
Dan Bahler enjoys driving a semi. It's a skill he learned in the 1980s and has trained many drivers since then. On a 5th-generation family dairy farm in Ellington, he honed his driving skills. Now, he's doing something he enjoys while benefiting those in need by driving for Midwest Food Bank New England. "After my first ride with Dan, I h...
Opened last December, MFB New England continues to build a team that will serve people throughout the region. A new member of the team is Montique "Mo" Cotton Kelly. Mo brings 24 years of experience in higher education and is the Vice President - Alumni Relations, Annual Giving and Communications at the University of Connecticut Foundation. Sh...
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...
Midwest Food Bank volunteers have all kinds of passions, talents, and interests. When they bring those to MFB, great things happen. In 2020, Heidi Cerrigione retired from Oakridge Dairy as their Office Manager/Bookkeeper. Her employment history includes banking, lending, real estate appraisal, and bookkeeping for several businesses. She has al...
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...
Three new board members with diverse experience have joined the MFB New England board. They are Sue Collins, Peter DeMallie, and Susan Karp. With over 45 years of experience in the financial services industry, Sue Collins retired from her position as Chief Actuary at TIAA. She is a past president of the Hartford Stage Company and ha...
