I was first introduced to the Midwest Food Bank about two years ago during a tour with the GROWMARK Volunteer Network. Immediately, I was inspired by the mission of the food bank and the hundreds of volunteers who make achieving that mission possible. The Midwest Food Bank was founded 10 years ago by a McLean county farmer and has grown to serve over 200 food pantries in the area, providing more than 400,000 cases of food last year to those in need. 

The Midwest Food Bank is entirely non-profit, employing only three full-time people; an administrator, an operations manager, and an office manager. All other activities, everything from warehouse management to truck driving to food sorting and distribution, is handled by hundreds of volunteers. Donations power the food bank and I’m proud to say that GROWMARK is a sponsoring organization – providing in-kind donations for all of the Midwest Food Bank’s graphic design, printing, and social media needs. GROWMARK employees also volunteer at the food bank three times a year (there is such a long waiting list for a volunteer time slot that we can’t get in more often than that). 

So it was with great pride that I recently read that Charity Navigator, a New-York-based non-profit agency which assesses over 6,000 U.S. charities on their financial accountability and transparency, ranked the Midwest Food Bank as the top charity in Illinois and the BEST food bank in the country, an outstanding (and well-deserved) honor. Its report shows Midwest Food Bank spends 98.5 cents of every dollar donated on feeding families and the rest on administrative costs.

Although I never questioned GROWMARK’s support of such an admirable organization before, I understood the connection even better after learning of the Charity Navigator report. It only makes sense that the GROWMARK System, a System owned by farmers, would support an organization founded by a farmer, whose mission is to alleviate hunger, and who takes such great care with the funds they receive that 98.5 cents of every dollar goes towards fulfilling that mission.

Congratulations to the Midwest Food Bank, we are proud to be your partner!
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