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...
Volunteers at Midwest Food Bank Indiana come through the doors filled with compassion and a shared purpose to uplift their community. Our volunteers not only serve people in need, but they become a family to each other, sharing life events. Those events can be celebrations of joy or times of grief. Sue Haymaker's story began over five years ago. "I...
Callie Marvel stands out as a beacon of hope in a world where selflessness can sometimes seem scarce. Her journey of service began in her youth when she attended birthday parties at the Midwest Food Bank Indiana. Those early experiences ignited a lifelong passion for helping others. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, Callie dedicated h...
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...
You could say that Duane Whitlow has a heart for Midwest Food Bank.In 2018, he first toured the Normal location of MFB and learned about the mission and work of MFB."I had the opportunity to visit with MFB founder David Kieser and learned firsthand how this great organization started and became what it is today," says Duane.It didn't take long befo...
After a varied career, including sales, publishing, logistics, and the mortgage industry, Steven Bishop has followed a calling from God into coaching and youth ministry. Now he is adding another meaningful career to his life. Steven is the new part-time Volunteer Coordinator at MFB Bloomington-Normal. Steven grew up in Bloomington and Nor...
At Midwest Food Bank New England, we see answers to prayers. Those answers sometimes are the volunteers that show up at just the right time. John Carter is a great example."John came to us when we were praying to expand our forklift driver team, and he has served every week since," says Corey Barrette, Volunteer and Community Relations Manager for ...
The volunteers who walk through the doors at Midwest Food Bank not only make our operations better, they leave an impression on everyone around them.With sadness, the New England location of MFB shares the news of the unexpected passing of Warren Zahner. Warren was one of the key people involved when MFB New England was established in 2021. He and ...
If you come to Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal, you will likely meet someone from Wesley United Methodist Church.They contribute to MFB in many ways - forklift drivers, first impression volunteers, SWAT Team (Sorting Wonderful Amazon Things), truck drivers, and leaders on food distribution days. Groups from the church also come to help with vo...
"Loyal loaders" are the people that show up regularly at Midwest Food Bank Bloomington/Normal during food distribution weeks. It's that loyalty that really makes the process smooth. Currently, MFB needs volunteers that can commit each month to become one of those "loyal loaders."What does that mean?Typically, distribution week is the first ful...
As an athletic director, Leon Hammond wants his student athletes to learn not just about wins and losses. He wants them to learn how to be resilient, face challenges and care about the people around them. Leon is McIntosh High School's AD and regularly brings students to Midwest Food Bank Georgia to volunteer."He believes in teaching the younger ge...
After 45 years in the trucking industry, Eddie Percy isn't tired of getting behind the wheel. In 2013 he retired from US Foods but was still willing to log more miles."I saw an article in the newspaper about Midwest Food Bank, and I decided to check them out," says Eddie. They needed a driver, and that was a perfect fit for me."Eddie has been a reg...
When corporate groups volunteer at Midwest Food Bank Florida, there is an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration. MFB staff always enjoy the liveliness of these groups. Usually, these events happen at the MFB warehouse, but it was more fitting to take the event to the group recently."MFB recently received a special request to organize a bulk-prod...
When volunteers from Crossover Community Center packed Cheez-It's at Midwest Food Bank Florida, it was a natural extension of their programs. CCC is a local nonprofit that uses the biblical principles of love and servanthood through active faith in Jesus Christ. They provide programs like volunteering, sports, and education to reach young people."T...
A strong work ethic is part of Rick Callahan's DNA. At 12 years old, he had a paper route and has been working ever since. He retired after 37 years at Traveler's Insurance and then picked up a couple of part-time jobs. During those work years, Rick always wanted to volunteer, but he was often on-call and couldn't volunteer as often as he wanted to...
At work and at church LaDonna Orr was encouraged to serve and volunteer. She first volunteered with a group from work several years ago, and then a recent message at church about service re-enforced that idea."LaDonna is an amazing ambassador for Midwest Food Bank Peoria," says Dominica Rogers, Community Relations and Volunteer Manager.LaDonna reti...
What started as a requirement ended up being an experience for Florida Gulf Coast University student Elise.She initially volunteered at Midwest Food Bank Florida for the Winter Harvest fundraising event as a service hour requirement for her degree. She has completed that requirement but also experienced the accomplishment of assisting others and co...
Volunteer groups at Midwest Food Bank New England know how to grab a hairnet, gloves, and measuring tools to help make a nutritious meal. We are grateful for the groups who recently hand-packed Tender Mercies. Tender Mercies was developed by dietitians for MFB and is a highly nutritious, low-cost blend of rice, beans, and fortified s...
A Midwest Food Bank Morton volunteer sees the big picture when it comes to getting food to people that need it. Dave not only volunteers at MFB but also at Hidden Manna Food Pantry in Peoria. Hidden Manna is one of the nonprofits that receive food, without charge, from MFB.Hidden Manna is always in need of boxes to distribute food to their clients....
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 ...
