MFB Bloomington-Normal honors 2020's Volunteers of the Year

Midwest Food Bank, Bloomington-Normal kicked off 2021 by honoring volunteers of the year. Three volunteers were recognized on Jan. 6.

Danny Isle - Danny volunteers in Fairfield, a remote distribution site for Bloomington-Normal, and has been serving at that location since it started. He is on-site to help other volunteers and he does maintenance on warehouse equipment like forklifts and scales. 

"Danny is a quiet, steady presence,"  says Jeni Hanson, Operations Manager for MFB Bloomington-Normal. "He saves MFB a lot of money because of the many ways he maintains equipment."

Rick Huette - Rick started volunteering at MFB after he retired and immediately applied his knowledge of fire safety and risk management in the warehouse. He checks the fire extinguishers and fire alarm system regularly and coordinates annual testing. He also drives a forklift and leads groups in food packaging projects. 

"Rick is one of the first to help in a pinch when an extra load comes in, or a load needs to be rescued from an accident along the highway," says Jeni. "Our team is grateful for his contagiously upbeat optimism."

Nancy Stone - Nancy is one of those volunteers that does whatever needs to be done. She greets people at the front desk, helps with paperwork behind the scenes, and checks in food pantries on distribution days," says Jeni. "She also serves staff and volunteers by preparing meals, and she is the world's best cook."

Volunteers are the backbone of Midwest Food Bank. For every one paid staff member at MFB, there are 800 volunteers. MFB would also like to celebrate the lives of those volunteers, past and current, who passed away in 2020. Those volunteers actively serving at MFB in 2020 who passed in 2020: Nancy Nolan, David Burkett, and Bill Dunbar. Please pray for their families and join us in giving thanks for their service to MFB.