The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently donated US$300,000 to Midwest Food Bank (MFB), a faith-based organization headquartered in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.
The majority of the funds were used to purchase a new semitruck, allowing MFB to expand its delivery capacity to 2,500 collaborating nonprofits across the United States. The donation will help MFB alleviate hunger and malnutrition and assist those impacted by natural disasters.
Local and regional Church leaders met with Midwest Food Bank CEO Eric Hodel and his leadership team on December 6, 2024, to celebrate the donation and tour MFB’s facilities.
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Local Latter-day Saints were on hand as the vehicle was shown to journalists. Hodel thanked the Church for helping MFB rescue, source, and distribute food.
“Your generous donation to be able to have the means to purchase this truck and the funds to be able to put it to use and procure food is greatly appreciated,” Hodel said. “Your Church volunteers at all 10 of our U.S. locations.”
Commenting on that effort, Corey Wurtzbacher, president of the Peoria Illinois Stake (a collection of several congregations), said it is a blessing for Church members to be “volunteering side by side with other members of the community trying to help and lift people [in need].”
Elder Kirt L. Hodges, an Area Seventy, represented the Church at the event. He was visiting MFB for the first time and reflected on the shared values that allow the Church of Jesus Christ to work closely with the Midwest Food Bank to minister to those in need.
“We are so grateful to be able to collaborate with you and hope this truck has hundreds of thousands and even millions of miles put on it,” Elder Hodges said.
Hodel explained that MFB’s business model requires three inputs: financial donations, donated food and volunteers.
“Your Church provides all three,” Hodel said. “We’ve talked about this specific donation, but collectively, your Church has continued to be generous. Your food production out of Utah has provided over $15 million worth of food to our 10 locations across the U.S.”
Midwest Food Bank was founded in 2003 on the Kieser family farm in rural McLean County, Illinois. It became the largest private food bank in the United States, with 10 domestic locations serving 23 states. Nonprofit agencies can pick up food at no cost from one of MFB’s regional centers monthly. There are also two international locations in East Africa and Haiti.
When asked why he was drawn to building the relationship with Midwest Food Bank, President Wurtzbacher said, “You can see the light in people who are really aligned with doing what Heavenly Father wants us to do, and that is to love our neighbor. This organization has the will to do what is right in this community, and their business model really allows our Church to supplement their work.”