The passion of the Midwest Food Bank employees and volunteers is contagious. Just ask Jan Murphy, a Midwest Food Bank Share Partner (a donor offering a regularly scheduled contribution). She is the former Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. In 2018, ISU President, Larry Dietz, encour...

Midwest Food Bank has again received a coveted four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation's top charity evaluator. MFB has received this recognition every year since 2011. Only 4% of charities are given a four-star rating for nine consecutive years. The rating is based on MFB's demonstration of robust financial health a...

Midwest Food Bank Texas continues to grow and serve communities. MFB Texas serves 100 partner agencies, more the double the amount served in January 2020. They are located in 40 counties. Over $14.8 million worth of food was distributed in 2020 - approximately 6 million pounds. The amount of high-nutrition produce, dairy, and protein food dist...

 Every county in Texas was under a state of emergency following a rare winter storm in mid-February. The heavy snow, ice, and bitterly cold temperatures caused widespread damage as water pipes froze in many locations. Millions were left without power for several days. Midwest Food Bank was ready to respond when partner The Salvation Army reque...

Midwest Food Bank Texas welcomes three new board members. These willing volunteers help MFB bridge the gap between prosperity and poverty in Texas. While their backgrounds are unique, they share a commitment to faith, family, and community. Please help us welcome Mylinh Luong, Jeff Talley, and Kim Nguyen. Mylinh Luong - In 1978, Mylinh's ...

 As the pandemic continues, more people are learning about food insecurity and understanding what existed before COVID-19 and how more families now need assistance. A group of people in Connecticut are not just learning. They are taking action. Their willingness to serve is the reason Midwest Food Bank announced the opening of a...

At Midwest Food Bank, Share Partners make a continual positive impact. They donate a set amount on a regular schedule - weekly, monthly, or quarterly. If you think our Share Partners are all wealthy retirees giving huge amounts, we'd like to introduce you to Allysha. Allysha Nordyke lives in Los Angeles, CA, and works for the government. She i...

While the impact of the Coronavirus Relief bill of March 2020 had far-reaching effects, there is a lesser-known benefit in the bill. It's a benefit that helps charitable givers AND charities $300 Charitable Giving Deduction Taxpayers who don't itemize their deductions (that's most of us) can take advantage of a special $300 tax deduction. In t...

Midwest Food Bank Texas welcomes Ken Fickle to the staff. He will serve as the Operations Manager overseeing all aspects of the warehouse as well as provide support for the growing volunteer base. His professional experience in transportation, supply chain logistics, and inventory controls will be an asset to our organization. "I have tol...

As we near the end of 2020 it's hard to know what holidays will look like this year. The large family gatherings or church traditions may be different but one thing stays the same - the desire to bring meaning to Christmas by helping those around us. We thought it would be helpful to provide some ideas (links below) on how to give and experience ho...

The term "food desert" is becoming more common but if you don't live in a food desert, it's hard to know what that means.  A food desert is a geographical area with little to no access to healthy, affordable, nutritious food. People that live in these areas might have a corner convenience store or gas station that carries milk or limited produ...

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 ...

Since early in the pandemic, Midwest Food Bank has been participating in the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program. It was created as a way to connect food suppliers with those in need. More details about the program and MFB's involvement can be read here. One of Midwest Food Bank Texas' board members, Brook Sims, VP, Commercial Banking - ...

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...