Midwest Food Bank will be receiving and distributing additional nutritious food through the USDA Farmers to Family Food Box Program. The USDA is partnering with national, regional, and local suppliers, who have been significantly impacted by the closure of food service businesses, to purchase up to $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat products. The suppliers will package these products into family-sized boxes and transport them to food banks. Through its participation, each Midwest Food Bank location will be receiving 3-5 semi loads of this food weekly. On average, 2,000 families per location will receive the food each week. Midwest Food Bank will be increasing distribution days to ensure the efficient delivery of the food.
“The quick structuring of this program has allowed Midwest Food Bank to efficiently get food into the hands of those who need it,” says David Kieser, President and Founder of Midwest Food Bank. “As a farmer, it is gratifying to be a part of a program helping those in need and food producers.”
The Farmers to Family Food Box Program is in phase one. MFB anticipates their participation will grow in subsequent phases through the end of 2020.
“This program dovetails with our increased focus on distributing more nutritious food,” says Will Garner, Executive Director of Midwest Food Bank– Georgia. “It will be a great blessing to our partner agencies who have seen such a rise in need.”
Midwest Food Bank has eleven locations, nine in the United States, and one each in East Africa and Haiti. Its mission is to share the love of Christ, by alleviating hunger and malnutrition locally and throughout the world and providing disaster relief; all without discrimination. Learn more at midwestfoodbank.org
