Midwest Food Bank Bloomington
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| About | Midwest Food Bank Bloomington provides food for over 325 food pantries and charitable organizations in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. |
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| Mission | As a faith-based organization, it is the mission of Midwest Food Bank to alleviate hunger and poverty by gathering and distributing food donations to not-for-profits and disaster sites without cost to the recipients. |
| Description | Midwest Food Bank , a faith-based, non-denominational nonprofit 501 organization, was started in 2003 when the Kieser family began providing food out of a building on their family farm. MFB began by serving about 10 food pantries in McLean County, Illinois. Today we serve over 325 organizations across the midwest. The food given out each month now reaches over 250,000 people |
| Awards | Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, provides free ratings of thousands of charities. Upon reviewing Midwest Food Bank’s financial practices, Charity Navigator ranked us as a ‘Four Star Charity’ and placed MFB on several of their ‘Top Ten’ lists. |
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Midwest Food Bank Desperately Needs Refrigerated Trailers
BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL – Bloomington-Normals Midwest Food Bank is desperate for refrigerated trailers as Thanksgiving approaches. The food bank had to turn away donation as it has no extra space to store food.
Midwest Food Bank is preparing to feed thousands for Thanksgiving, but it might not be able to reach as many people.
Were going to be really struggling to find space for food and to be able to accept additional loads of frozen goods, said executive director, Tara Ingham.
Ingham says two of their four refrigerated trailers are waiting for repairs.
Unfortunately, there are no rentals or leases available in our immediate area. So, weve been calling around trying to find and locate some additional equipment to even borrow, said Ingham.
Now, theyre hoping someone in the community might be able to help as the timeline for repairs will push them past Thanksgiving.
Its really been kind of a rough ride over this past year or so with trucking in general, said Ingham.
Without those two trailers, Ingham says theyve already had to turn away donations. Its a fear for Ingham as theyre preparing to bring Thanksgiving meals to other states in need.
We need to be able to store those turkeys and without having the refrigerated trailers for additional frozen food space we are really struggling through that complexity of logistics, said Ingham.
As the holiday approaches, Ingham is hopeful theyll be able to feed everyone in need.
Copyright 2022 WEEK. All rights reserved.
What We Aim To Solve
Food insecurity exists in every county in the United States. The most recent government data shows that 48.1 million peopleincluding 15.3 million childrenlive in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. That means 1 in 5 children under the age of 18 struggles with food insecurity. Every day MFB redistributes good, wholesome food that would otherwise be wasted. “Our hope is to help bridge the gap between prosperity and poverty in our community.” – David Kieser, Co-Founder & President / CEO.
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Midwest Food Bank Expanding Facility In Ptc
To meet the needs of the hungry, the Midwest Food Bank Georgia Division is increasing its capacity to serve by building a loading dock and expanding its warehouse size by nearly 5,000 sq. ft. Last year, over 200 semi-trailers were unloaded without the benefit of a loading dock. This limits the amount of product they can effectively and efficiently receive, store and distribute.
The public is invited to the groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Aug. 5 at 8 a.m. at Midwest Food Bank, 220 Parkade Court, Peachtree City. The cost estimate for the project is $750,000. Midwest Food Bank is stepping out in faith with this expansion, trusting the community to provide the financial support needed to finish the project.
Midwest Food Bank began operations in 2003 on a farm in rural Bloomington, Illinois. Since then, Midwest Food Bank has expanded to seven locations in four states, and Nairobi, Kenya. The mission has remain unchanged: To alleviate hunger and poverty by gathering and distributing food donations to not-for-profits and disaster sites without cost to the recipients. Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator, has listed Midwest Food Bank in the top one percent of all charities in the United States.
To learn more about Midwest Food Bank, or to make a donation to the building fund, visit peachtree.midwestfoodbank.org.
Copyright 2022 The Fayette County News. All Rights Reserved.
Midwest Food Bank Of Illinois
Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal, IL, serves nearly 500 agency partners across 50 counties throughout Central and Eastern Illinois. A remote distribution site in Fairfield, IL, provides a more convenient location to serve our nonprofit partners in Southern Illinois. With the help and support of amazing volunteers at out-of-state remote distribution sites, we also provide food to agency partners in Kentucky, and West Virginia.
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Midwest Food Bank Began In Bloomington Il
Midwest Food Bank began in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois in 2003 when the Kieser family began collecting food donations and serving local food pantries from a shed on their farm. This quickly grew outside McLean County and Central Illinois
By 2005, the first permanent Midwest Food Bank location was established in Bloomington, Illinois. With efficient distribution systems in place, we responded to the need for Disaster Relief in Mississippi and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.
The continued need for assistance throughout the Midwest prompted us to consider a much more expansive warehouse in 2016. In April of 2017, we moved into our location at 2031 Warehouse Rd, Normal, IL. The building offers 100,000 square feet of warehouse space and also serves as the Midwest Food Bank corporate headquarters.
Giving Hope To Others
I talked to a man I know, who lives about 2 hours away, whose house got leveled from a tornado about a year ago. He was telling me about how he lost absolutely everything and had no idea what to do. His entire town was torn to shreds and they had nothing left. Then they got a huge delivery of ‘Disaster Relief’ packages from the Midwest Food Bank, and it brightened everyone’s mood and lifted their spirits.
The Midwest Food Bank accomplishes exactly what they aim to do which is provide for and help those in need. Everyone I’ve ever talked to that has either volunteered at the MFB or received some kind of help from them has been nothing but beyond thankful for all that they do. They help out all of the community by adding positivity and by giving hope to those who are feeling doubtful.
To contribute to the Midwest Food Bank’s work you can contact them by email, phone call, or even just by taking a trip over and talking to someone in charge.
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City Of Bloomington Illinois
- 705 N. Roosevelt Avenue, Bloomington, IL Mondays, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Currently, distribution of food is in the parking lot, food is loaded into vehicles. Food is distributed to walkups, as well.
- Free Summer Meals – District 87District 87 sponsors the Summer Food Service Program and will provide free meals to ANYONE 18 years old and under. Parents and/or guardians may pick up meals for their children children do not need to be present. Meals will distributed from school buses and District 87 vehicles.
- West end of Illinois Street/Northwest corner of Sunnyside Park, Bloomington, IL Sunnyside Community Garden & Food Forest has started planting its garden. We are in need of:Donations for the garden Volunteers times: Monday/Friday/Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and starting in June, Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. for the Free Market. Come at your own time. Social distancing protocols will be in place it’s a big place and easy to do. First Free Market starts Wednesday, June 3 from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. We will have vegetables and some fruits to give out, plus food from the Beacon of Hope.
What Does Home Sweet Home Do With My Donations
In Bloomington IL, hundreds of men, women, and children are helped through the hard work of volunteers and donors at Home Sweet Home Ministries. With your food donations in Bloomington IL, our volunteers are able to collect the necessary food to feed the homeless. Individuals, businesses, and organizations partner with Home Sweet Home Ministries to accomplish this work.
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Local Restaurants & Community Partnerships Fuel Us
Home Sweet Home Ministries is blessed with the tremendous support of a wide range of community organizations. They include the Midwest Food Bank, Avanti’s, Olive Garden, Mrs. Fields, Jimmy Johns, Sweet Temptations, Schnucks, Papa Murphy’s, and other establishments. They regularly donate food to Home Sweet Home Ministries. You too can donate and partner with our cause!
The Food Bank Flyerjune 18 2022
| Starting at the Midwest Food Bank in Normal IL the annual Food Bank Flyer has 20, 40 and 60 mile routes to choose from or you can mix and match for 80 or even 100 miles. All routes have well supplied rest stops and SAG support by phone if needed. You can start your ride anytime between 6:30 am and 10am but be sure to plan on finishing in time for lunch provided by the Midwest Food Bank. Lunch will be served from 11am – 1pm. Although registration will be open up to the day of the event please help us plan how much food we will need by registering early.*IMPORTANT* REST STOPS WILL CLOSE AT 12:00 P.M. SO THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS CAN ENJOY THE MEAL AT THE MIDWEST FOOD BANK. If you will be riding after 12:00 P.M., please fill your water bottles and pocket some snacks from a rest stop before noon. |
| 2031 Warehouse Rd, Normal IL, 61761- Midwest Food Bank | Because of our generous sponsors 100% of all registration fees and T-Shirt sales will go to benefit the Midwest Food Bank. You can also include your family and friends by becoming a Fundraiser. Create your own custom fundraising page where others can show their support by donating to the cause. Route MapsThere will be a limited supply of paper maps but we strongly encourage you to download the maps to you phone or cycling computer. The routes will be marked but heat and traffic can sometimes make the marks difficult to see. |
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Join In Or Volunteer: What Items We Accept
As hundreds of families in Bloomington-Normal suffer from the lack of food security and access to the essentials of life, all the help we receive is gladly appreciated. When you donate food in Bloomington IL, you ensure that these families have better food, nutrition, and other basic necessities. You can bring different food items such as canned soup, boxed cereal, canned pasta, canned fruits, ramen noodles, peanut butter, Mac-n-Cheese, and others.
Midwest Food Bank Addresses 2 Emergencies: Kentucky Floods And Rising Inflation
Relief efforts remain underway in eastern Kentucky where scores of communities were devastated by last weeks floods. As of Wednesday, the death toll stands at 37 with fears that the number could rise as water levels recede.
Kentucky faces an additional threat this week, as dangerously high temperatures settle over the state. During a Tuesday press conference, Gov. Andy Bashear warned residents working to salvage what they could of their homes to take precautions against the heat. Were bringing in water by the truckloads, Bashear assured Kentuckians. Were gonna makes sure we have enough for you.
Some of that water is coming from central Illinois. Normal-based Midwest Food Bank has so far sent two semi-loads of bottled water to affected areas in Kentucky with plans for more. Michael Hoffman is the procurement and logistics manager for Midwest Food Bank. The organization anticipated a need for clean water, Hoffman said, but were still surprised by how great the need was.
A semi-load of water and thats a lot of water in one hour, it was pretty much gone, Hoffman said. Witnessing the scale of desperation, the semis volunteer driver returned immediately to Illinois to retrieve another load of bottled water.
Hoffman said many of the affected communities in Kentucky dont even have the option of boiling water for consumption. Theyve been advised by authorities that the water is too contaminated. They’re just like, don’t even touch the water, Hoffman said.
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Midwest Food Bank Is Receiving An Extra Delivery Of Supplies From Amazon
NORMAL, Ill. A special partnership between Midwest Food Bank and Amazon is helping provide extra resources to those in need, according to leaders with Midwest Food Banks Bloomington-Normal facility.
It all began for us at this location with a call from one of our local Amazon warehouses in Illinois, to say that they had some excess product on hand, and they were just curious if we could take it, said Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal Executive Director, Tara Ingham.
Of course we can, she added.
Ingham said since then, the Amazon facility in Wilmington, Illinois provides one to two truckloads every week of products.
We oftentimes will get food, either non-perishable food, sometimes refrigerated foods, items that they need to clear out to accept the newer product in for example, said Ingham.
She explained these are items that are returned or unused, that might otherwise be thrown away.
Honestly its a win-win-win, people are being fed, people are being provided for, while Amazon is also able of course to receive a tax-deductible charitable contribution, and were keeping products as well from going to the landfills, said Ingham.
Ingham added that its a partnership she hopes continues.
We serve about 500 food pantries here out of this location of Midwest Food Bank, and when theyre able to partake in these extra goods, thats more people being served that are in need, said Ingham.
Unique Programs At The Illinois
While Midwest Food Bank has a distinct mission and a steady set of values as an organization, Gods guidance has taken each of our locations on its own path of discovery and growth. We are proud that our community has provided enough support and volunteerism to fuel our own unique programs. Exclusive to the Bloomington location, these programs started as ideas from our volunteers and grew into compassionate acts of care that reach worldwide.
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