Midwest Food Bank is able to alleviate hunger for those in need due to the generous support received in the form of food donations, volunteer hours and dollar contributions. These are the key inputs to the MFB Business Model. Some of our donors have given non-cash items to MFB. These include cars, stocks, real estate, collectibles, grain...
Every industry has a "language" and food banks are no different. At Midwest Food Bank we use words like "hunger" and "food insecurity" on a regular basis. But, what do those words really mean? Hunger – This is a physical condition that is caused by a lack of food. Food Insecurity – The USDA defines this as the "lack of consistent access to enough f...
When visitors come to Midwest Food Bank for the first time they are often surprised by the size of our warehouses and the amount of food on our shelves. They aren't expecting forklifts, pallets, and semi-trucks. That's when the conversation turns to the difference between a food bank and a food pantry. Food banks – Midwest Food Bank, like other foo...
A box of cereal and a smile left a lasting impression on a 7-year-old boy in New York. Fast forward to 2020 and that boy is now a man in his early 40s and Jason Serrano can recount that event with clarity. "I know that smile was because she was doing God's work," Jason says about how the woman from a church down the street came to his ho...
Midwest Food Bank will open a new location in the Hershey, Pennsylvania, area, MFB President and CEO David Kieser announced today. Jason and Aleta Serrano of New York are leading a team of organizers to expand MFB's impact. They are currently seeking a facility to lease for the new division. "In Pennsylvania, 1 in 8 households are food insecure, an...
Midwest Food Bank has been shipping Disaster Relief all over the US since March (stories here and here). Family food boxes have have been helping people affected by business closures and layoffs. Volunteers have been assembling, filling, and driving food boxes every week. The Tender Mercies packing machine has been running non-stop, setting new pro...
A HUGE "Thank you!" to all those who have contributed to our Impacting our Community Campaign. Phase I of this project is 90% funded. After much prayer and thoughtful consideration, we have decided to break ground and begin construction of Phase I, the large capacity Freezer and Refrigerator. With the challenges of the COVID-19 pande...
Typically, in July and August, Midwest Food Bank is preparing for the Disaster Relief we will provide during hurricane season. 2020 has been anything but typical. Much of our effort since March has been focused on Disaster Relief. The COVID-19 crisis has placed many people in a position of food insecurity. Thanks to your support, we have been ...
Midwest Food Bank is participating in a new USDA program benefitting food suppliers as well as those in need. The program is called the Farmers to Family Food Box Program. The USDA is partnering with national, regional, and local suppliers, who have been significantly impacted by the closure of food service businesses. The USDA will purchase u...
It's that time of year again. Articles with titles like "Top ten gifts for Dad" show up. They appear for a reason. It can be difficult finding a meaningful gift for a parent. Forgive us for adding one more suggestion to the mix. Some truly unique and purposeful time spent with Dad would be a gift to both the giver and recipient. What dad wouldn't a...
Construction will begin soon for Phase I of our Impacting Campaign. Phase I includes the freezer and refrigerator capable of holding 12 semi truck loads of fresh and frozen food. Now more than ever, our community needs the nutritious food we will be able to provide when we add this cold storage capacity. While construction of the freezer and r...
During any typical month, we average hundreds of volunteers serving here giving us thousands of hours of love and support. In 2019, we had over 4,000 individuals serve for over 46,000 hours. Since the beginning of COVID-19, we have had to reduce our volunteer opportunities. We miss the joy, energy and excitement our volunteer groups bring to the wa...
The Midwest Food Bank central team welcomes a new bookkeeper to our team: Julie Bakewell. Julie will be assisting on the central and Haiti MFB accounts. She will be working out of the Bloomington-Normal location. Julie comes to Midwest Food Bank with many years of experience in accounting and non-profit work. They include time spent at State Farm a...
This is an unprecedented season of Disaster Relief at Midwest Food Bank. Responding to the needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is posing unique challenges. Most states are experiencing work suspensions and quarantines, causing food insecurity. Rather than sending relief to a single disaster area, our partner, The Salvation Army, has been re...
Dear Friend of Midwest Food Bank, What an extraordinary time this is! Just one short month ago, we would not have thought all of the changes we've been through were possible. And yet now many of us are sheltering in place, watching unusual events unfold. Much has changed in the 15 years since Midwest Food Bank began providing Disaster Relief after ...
Our plans are usually not God's plans. Don Owen, director of God's Warehouse, in Morristown, Tennessee will tell you that. Owen is one of 850 volunteers in his area that serve Nolachucky Baptist Association. There are several arms to their ministries - one being disaster relief. "Quite honestly, we let the Lord direct our path," Owen say...
We launched the Impacting our Community campaign last summer. We are excited about the progress that has been made. Phase I of the construction project is building a 4,500 sq.ft. freezer/refrigerator. We have raised 75% of the funds needed to complete the freezer project. Our goal is to break ground and begin construction in the Spring and have Pha...
In 2011, Midwest Food Bank stepped out in faith and purchased two big empty buildings on 4½ acres in Peachtree City, Georgia trusting that God would do something special here. He has. Over the past eight years, we have distributed over $75 million dollars worth of food to this region. It's time for Midwest Food Bank to once again step out in f...
Because of our faithful donors and volunteers, the lives of hundreds of thousands people were touched. In 2019, the Georgia Division distributed over $18 million in food serving over 300 nonprofit organizations from 56 counties in 6 states. We had just over 4,000 different volunteers serve for over 46,000 hours. Thanks to all who helped "Share the ...
Late in 2019, two business publications have recently had favorable things to say about Midwest Food Bank. Business.org published a list of "The Best Charities for Your Money in Every State." Midwest Food Bank was selected as the best charity for your money in Illinois. Based on transparency and program expense, each of the fifty chariti...
