Midwest Food Bank of Florida is the food sponsor for The 24th Annual Big Backpack Event. They are graciously donating food for 1,500 bags, in addition to supplying cases of water, Gatorade, or other beverages.
Learn more about how you can help through donations or by volunteering for Midwest Food Bank!
WE DO MORE WITH LESS ... SO PEOPLE WITH LESS HAVE MORE
Who We Are
Midwest Food Bank is a private 501(c)(3) charity. It was founded in 2003 in Bloomington, Illinois. In 2021, $430 million worth of food was distributed to more than 2,000 partner non-profit agencies. There are nine other MFB divisions in the US, and two international locations.
MFB Mission and Vision
As a faith-based organization, it is the mission of Midwest Food Bank to share the love of Christ by alleviating hunger and malnutrition locally and throughout the world and providing disaster relief; all without discrimination. Our vision is to provide industry-leading food relief to those in need while feeding them spiritually.
OUR MIDWEST FOOD BANK MODEL Donations MFB Programs
How We Help
Put simply, Midwest Food Bank gathers food donations and distributes them free of charge to partnering food pantries and feeding programs.
MFB Programs
Food for nonprofits. Midwest Food Bank serves non-profit organizations such as food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, churches, schools, and others helping their community.
Disaster Relief. After Hurricane Katrina, MFB began providing support to areas struck by disaster. A load of family food boxes can be on the road 24 hours after a request.
Tender Mercies. Based in MFB Morton, Illinois, Tender Mercies is MFB’s packaged meal of rice, beans, soy protein, and chicken flavored seasoning.
Hope Packs. Through this program, at-risk students are given supplemental food to help them through the weekend.
Midwest Food Bank Florida Facts
• Opened in 2014.
• Turns $1 donation into $34 worth of food.
• Rescued & donated $52 milion worth of food in 2021.
• Donated over 17 million pounds of food in 2021.
• Supports 194 nonprofit organizations in 39 counties.
• Fed over 2 million hungry Florida individuals.
• Sent over $660,000 worth of Disaster Relief.
• Distributed over 1500 Hope Packs for children in 2021.
• Engages over 1,300 community volunteers.
Our goal is 30% of the food we give away is nutritious protein, dairy, and produce.
HOW YOU CAN PARTNER WITH US
PRAY - We want to show Christ’s love in our actions.
VOLUNTEER - Bring your talents to further our mission.
GIVE - Consider a monthly gift as a SHARE PARTNER.
FOLLOW - We’re on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
CONNECT - Tell your friends and family about MFB.
Midwest Food Bank Locations
99% OF EVERY DOLLAR DONATED TO MFB GOES TO FOOD RELIEF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
Charity Navigator, America’s premier independent charity evaluator, has awarded Midwest Food Bank as a “4-Star Charity” (its highest rating) for ten years.
WHAT IS A FOOD BANK?
A place where stocks of food, typically basic provisions and non-perishable items, are stored and distributed to front-line agencies; and usually do not themselves give out food directly to the hungry. After the food is collected, sorted, and reviewed for quality, these food banks distribute it to nonprofit community or government agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and schools. In 2023, Midwest Food Bank began its 20th year providing food and disaster relief.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FOOD BANK AND A FOOD PANTRY?
A food bank is the distribution facility for millions of pounds of food and other products that go out to the community. A food pantry and other organizations function as the arms that reach out to that community directly.
WHERE DOES THE FOOD GO?
Food is given to a variety of not-for-profit agencies feeding the hungry in counties from Iowa down to Florida. Food is transported to our ten domestic distribution facilities in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas and our two international facilities in Africa and Haiti. Then, every month, the food is given out, always free of charge to local not for profit organizations, including food pantries, shelters, daycare centers, agencies for victims of domestic violence, senior adult centers, soup kitchens, substance abuse and rehabilitation programs, medical daycare facilities, and churches and agencies helping support those in need.
