Customer Service Place an Ad Become a Carrier Contact Us About Us Mobile Edition E-Mail Updates Report Cancellation Submit Milestone
| Subscribe Now Customer Service Place an Ad Become a Carrier Contact Us About Us Mobile Edition E-Mail Updates Report Cancellation Submit Milestone
|
 |
 |
|
Weather  Calendar Obituaries Classifieds Jobs Autos Homes Rentals Coupons Ad Center Gift Finder |
Bloomington-Normal, Illinois
|
Home News Sports
Free Time Life Money Nation/World Opinion Blogs/Columns Archives Site Map |
| NewsThursday, October 25, 2007 4:24 PM CDT |
 Comments (2) |  E-mail this page |  Print this page |  Enlarge type |  Reduce type |  Search archives |  RSS feeds |  Add to My Yahoo! |
Midwest Food Bank expanding
BLOOMINGTON — Midwest Food Bank, which began four years ago with a small volunteer group hoping to help feed the hungry locally, soon will grow to include warehouses in Peoria and Indianapolis. The agency that collects and distributes food to other charities has contracted to spend $1.55 million to buy a warehouse at 9005 Industrial Road, Peoria. A group of businessmen with ties to the food bank has donated a 17,000-square-foot warehouse in Indianapolis. The food bank plans to open the warehouses this winter, said food bank spokeswoman Jessica Junis. “Our goal is January — if not January then February definitely,” Junis said. “It is a challenge to be opening two more at the same time.” More than 450 nonprofit agencies get food monthly at no cost from the Bloomington warehouse, and about 20 agencies come from Indiana. A study by Illinois State University students calculated the food bank helps 100,000 people monthly in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Missouri. The current warehouse at 1703 S. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington, is at capacity, and new agencies can be on a waiting list for months. “We need the extra space,” she said. The food bank gets items from several sources. For example, it takes in food with imperfect labels and discontinued products, but everything they have is safe, she said. “There are food banks, which do charge per pound. We don’t charge our agencies anything” because Midwest Food Bank’s operating costs are covered by donors, Junis said. Both warehouses will be managed by teams of volunteers duplicating the Bloomington operation. Peoria contractor Larry Herman and his wife, Susan, will manage the Peoria warehouse. Arden Bucher, one of the businessmen who donated the Indianapolis warehouse, is heading up efforts to organize volunteers there. “We feel blessed and excited about how the Midwest Food Bank can support the local efforts of those helping the hurting people in this community,” Herman said in a prepared statement. In 2006, Midwest Food Bank distributed about two dozen semitrailer-truck loads of food monthly to nonprofit agencies and disaster sites. The food was worth more than $14 million in 2006. Having more warehouse space means more room to store supplies for disaster relief. The food bank has helped out for an average of one disaster a month this year. Disasters in the last couple of months involved flooding in Ohio, tornadoes in Kansas and a hurricane in Jamaica, Junis said. For disasters, the food bank also distributes water, sport drinks and health kits. As for relief in California for the wildfires, Junis said, “We’re talking to them now.” How to help-- Money for the Peoria warehouse can be sent to Midwest Food Bank, 1703 S. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington, IL 61701. -- Call (309)-663-5350 -- Go to www.midwestfoodbank.org E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
|
||||||
|
 |
|
Top of Page | Home | News | Sports | Free Time | Life | Money | Nation/World | Opinion | Blogs/Columns | Archives | Site Map | RSS
Customer Service | 301 W. Washington St., PO Box 2907, Bloomington, IL 61701-2907 | Ph. 309-829-9000 | 800-747-7323
Copyright © 2009, Pantagraph Publishing Co. and Lee Enterprises. All rights reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
|