Midwest Food Bank, hosted Brandon Lipps and Tim English, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in late October. Brandon is the Deputy Under Secretary for the USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, and Tim is the Midwest Regional Administrator. Mr. Lipps reached out and requested a tour of the MFB location in Normal, Illinois after reviewing ...
A simple internet search, a love for fashion, and a desire to help people around the world - that's how Meri Barnes, CEO and founder of California based The Shop Forward, connected with Midwest Food Bank. The apparel company supports a variety of causes including disaster relief. The recent derecho in Iowa and hurricanes in the southeast...
Midwest Food Bank congratulates the World Food Programme for receiving the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. We are thankful for the efforts of the WFP and fully agree that their impact is worthy of this world-class recognition. WFP is a leading humanitarian organization and addresses hunger and promotes food security worldwide. In 2019, WFP provided assista...
Today, October 16, is World Food Day. It's an internationally recognized day in honor of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945. It's celebrated by organizations concerned with food insecurity. World Food Day meshes well with of mission of alleviating hunger. This year's theme, "Grow, Nourish, Sustain. T...
COVID-19 created a disruption in the US food supply chain. Food producers and suppliers were unable to have food processed and transported. The USDA created the Farmers to Families Food Program to support US farmers and distributors and get that food to people that need it. The program has been authorized through the end of 2020. Midwest Food Bank ...
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 ...
