Midwest Food Bank- Bloomington/ Normal

Because of this incredible community, 1,335 local children have already been sponsored to receive Hope Packs this school year! ❤️

Thank you for helping make sure kids have nutritious meals to get them through the weekend. In just six weeks, these Hope Packs will begin reaching students across our community, providing food, hope, and one less thing for families to worry about.

There's still time to help us reach every child who needs weekend meals. Together, we can make sure no student goes hungry. 💛
https://midwestfoodbank.org/blogs/ilb-hope-packs/

This truck carried more than a trailer—it carried the first load of disaster relief from Midwest Food Bank to families impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

That mission continues today. We're blessed to have our own fleet of trucks and faithful volunteer drivers who help keep transportation costs low, whether they're delivering disaster relief or food for our agency partners.

We call it Hauling Hope. Every mile traveled helps us stretch every dollar entrusted to us, allowing us to provide $35 worth of food for every $1 donated while serving our neighbors with compassion. Volunteer Drivers needed... call 309-663-5350.

🚨 We need helping hands... and we need them now!

If you're 16 or older, come join us next week as we load and distribute free food for the food pantries and soup kitchens we support. It's fast-paced, meaningful, and yes... actually a lot of fun. (We might be a little biased. 😄)

Sign up by clicking the link below today or call 309-663-5350.
https://x.gldn.io/e/bRlIC9JJL4b

Walk Ins Welcome for the shifts below! Don't let registering get in the way of serving!

🚨 We need extra hands at Distribution August 3–7! 🚨

A huge thank you to Barrel House Food & Spirits for being our August Serve & Savor partner! 🎉

Whether you're a first-time volunteer or a familiar face, when you serve during Distribution August 3–7, you can pick up a 20% off Barrel House coupon at the front desk while supplies last.

Have you seen their new menu? 😍 I can't stop thinking about trying the Chicken Philly. Who's going with me? 👇 Drop a comment if you're in!

Scan the QR code or go to this link https://x.gldn.io/e/bRlIC9JJL4b
to sign up and help us serve our neighbors next week. Did you know over 100,000 households will be blessed by the products we give away next week?

We can't do it without volunteers like you. ❤️

Throwback Thursday!

Long before today's warehouse, dedicated volunteers gathered to repack bulk food donations so they could be shared with our partner agencies. Their care and commitment helped make sure more families could receive the food they needed.

That work hasn't changed. We still have faithful volunteers repacking bulk donations on a regular basis so food can continue reaching our neighbors.

Do you recognize any of the ladies in this photo? We'd love to know who they are! Tag them or their family members in the comments, or share a favorite memory if you were part of these early days.

We’re excited to partner with Nayak Farms in Gardner, IL — they’re generously donating their sweet corn crop to Midwest Food Bank this year! They need volunteers on the farm to help harvest on Monday, July 27th.

We need volunteers in the warehouse on
July 28th at 1:00 PM —Service Project to help box up corn
Distribution: July 30th and August 3rd-7th to give the corn and 60 other products to the agencies so they can feed neighbors in need!

Learn about Nayak Farms: https://nayakfarms.com/
Sign up to volunteer (all opportunities): https://midwestfoodbank.org/locations/bloomington-normal/

Questions or want to join the July 28 shift? Reply or DM us — we’d love to have you!

What a great day having Bloomington-Normal Thrive Rotary help with our supplemental distribution today. Thank you, Julie, for your beautiful testimony.
Many of our nonprofit agencies need extra food support during the month... without our volunteers this support would not be possible. If you want to be part of the mission like these rotary members, sign up to help on Wednesday from 8:30-12:00. https://x.gldn.io/e/bRlIC9JJL4b

Every smile tells a story. Every gray face is a child still waiting. 🙂

This challenge is simple: 3,400 children. 3,400 sponsors.

Right now, 1,266 children have been sponsored, but 2,134 are still waiting for weekend meals they can count on.

Although Hope Packs won't be distributed until September, this is the time of year we're purchasing the food that will fill every pack. Sponsoring a child today helps us buy food now so we're ready to deliver Hope as soon as the new school year begins.

For many students, school meals end on Friday—and weekends can mean empty cupboards. Hope Packs help bridge that gap with easy-to-open, nutritious food so children can return to school ready to learn.

For $68, you can sponsor one child for the entire school year.

Will you help turn one more gray face into a smile?

❤️ Sponsor a child today: https://midwestfoodbank.org/blogs/ilb-hope-packs/

Every child sponsored brings us one step closer to reaching all 3,400 children. If you're unable to sponsor a child today, sharing this post is another meaningful way to help us reach someone who can.

ILB Hope Packs - The 3,400 Smiles Challenge - Midwest Food Bank Midwest Food Bank Bloomington-Normal – Hope Packs: The 3,400 Smiles Challenge