Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 Jesus used the pure love and faith of children as an example for adults. And still today children have much to teach us. A recent donation from 10-year-old Colton Nirenberg touched our hearts at Midwest Fo...
God spoke to a man in Texas and a man in Haiti, and together they are answering the call to help people in the largest slum in Haiti. This partnership happens through the Luken Foundation - named after the young Haitian man, Luken Ermilus (learn more here). Midwest Food Bank is thankful to play a part in this ministry, but first, we need to te...
Coming from a Christian, middle-class family with a brother and four sisters, Luken Ermilus decided to go to medical school. His story sounds kind of standard, but God can use one decision to change a trajectory. That's what happened with Luken when he decided to use his medical training to help people in his own country of Haiti. He visited Cite S...
Midwest Food Bank Indiana received two bus loads (you read that right, two bus loads!) of donated food and non-perishable items in from IndyGo. In mid-December, IndyGo, the largest public transportation provider in the state, had a day when fares were waived if riders donated a canned food item or other non-perishable item. Their riders r...
Midwest Food Bank, Bloomington-Normal kicked off 2021 by honoring volunteers of the year. Three volunteers were recognized on Jan. 6. Danny Isle - Danny volunteers in Fairfield, a remote distribution site for Bloomington-Normal, and has been serving at that location since it started. He is on-site to help other volunteers and he does main...
The cookie elves worked over-time during the holidays at Midwest Food Bank Indiana. It was a sweet way to thank the faithful volunteers that logged countless hours in 2020. In December, MFB staff and volunteers Verna and Rita prepared 100 dozen homemade cookies and 60 pounds of candies that were given to key volunteers as a token of thanks for...
We love it when people have fun while raising funds! The Peoria Frisbee Club hosted a disc golf event that raised $8,200 for Midwest Food Bank, Peoria. The temperatures were cold but warm hearts prevailed at the Peoria Ice Bowl on Jan. 2 at Bradley Park. A little snow and a high temperature of 32 degrees didn't stop participants from...
A donation from some area Rotary clubs will help reduce monthly costs at Midwest Food Bank Florida. The Rotary Club of Ft. Myers, the Sunrise Rotary Club, and Rotary District 6960 donated $12,989 to MFB recently. The donation was used to replace a refrigeration unit on a trailer. This improvement ensures we keep the food fresh as we...
Partnership was the key in getting food boxes, chickens, and hams ready to give to people in need during the holidays at Midwest Food Bank Florida. The First Assembly Cornerstone in Ft. Myers along with Toys for Tots, several businesses, and members of local Rotary clubs all played a part in making the holidays brighter for people served...
Midwest Food Bank Florida, welcomes two interns from Florida Gulf Coast University - Brianna Hamilton and Austin Bonsanto. These two college students are both majoring in communications with an emphasis on public relations. MFB Florida will use their skills to assist with fundraising, social media, grant research, and media relations.&nbs...
Up and running is the best way to describe Midwest Food Bank Pennsylvania. This location opened in October of 2020 and is already serving 50 organizations in New York and will have its first distribution of food in Pennsylvania at the end of January 2021. "We are grateful for a steady stream of volunteers who have helped us get establishe...
Safety is always a top priority at Midwest Food Bank so when a donor helps us with that priority we are thankful. MFB Pennsylvania received a life-saving gift of an AED machine. It came from the Peyton Walker Foundation which is committed to checking hearts, protecting hearts, and saving lives through heart screenings, CPR, AED training, and A...
Midwest Food Bank was the winner of the State Farm Holiday Classic basketball tournament in 2020. While the tournament was canceled, the committee decided to honor the tradition of the tournament by organizing its first food drive, benefitting Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal. Organizers asked teams that would have participated in the tour...
There were many challenges during 2020, and here at Midwest Food Bank Morton, it was no exception. However, as we look back on last year, God kept reminding us that He had it handled. "If I just stayed out of the way and didn't allow myself to get stressed, I could enjoy watching how God is always in control," says Gail Thorson, Tender Mercies...
Thanks to Mary Ann Preston, a warm welcome and friendly smile greets visitors to Midwest Food Bank Morton. Mary Ann volunteers three days each week at the front desk. She not only welcomes guests in person and on the phone, but she also uses her beautiful penmanship to write "thank you" notes to volunteers and donors. "I volunteer because I en...
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...
Differently-abled children (those with special needs and disabilities) face great hardship in the Kibera slum of Nairobi. They are often left at home while parents struggle to find daily work. Kapu Africa is blessed to partner with a nonprofit agency that includes the differently-abled in their ministry. We give them Tender Mercies, our nutritious ...
We continue taking steps toward the opening of Midwest Food Bank Pennsylvania. We would like to introduce two more employees that are helping launch that location and populate our staff. Janice Reinke - Agency and Volunteer Coordinator. Janice will be working with our food partners and also coordinating volunteer activities in the warehou...
