Midwest Food Bank, a nonprofit based in Normal, Illinois, is planning to open a food distribution center in Connecticut that would serve relief agencies and food pantries throughout the six New England states.
A team of organizers is seeking a site in the Hartford area, according to Midwest Food Bank President and CEO David Kieser. He noted that four people have been named to Midwest Food Bank New England”™s board of directors: Joseph Koch, Maxine Schneider, Heather Summers, and Brent Walder. The group, working with others on a launch team, facilitated the efforts to establish the new MFB division. An executive director and additional board members will be named in 2021.
According to the 501(c)(3) charity, before the Covid-19 pandemic, one of eight Connecticut residents struggled with food insecurity; estimates show that number has since risen to 1 in 6, including 1 in 4 children.
Midwest Food Bank distributes food without cost to over 2,000 nonprofit partners and social service agencies in the U.S. The organization presently maintains 12 locations: 10 in the U.S. and one each in East Africa and Haiti.
MFB said it will distribute over $350 million worth of food this year, a 20% increase from 2019.
The announcement follows the disclosure earlier this month that The Connecticut Food Bank and Foodshare are discussing a merger, with more details expected early next year.
