As the country and our local community struggle with the higher cost of everyday items, the work that Midwest Food Bank does, right here in Gilbert, is even more important than ever and is saving lives.

A combination of inflation, including escalating food prices, higher fuel prices, the loss of eligibility for SNAP benefits, and a combination of housing and economic pressures have transformed the work of Midwest Food Bank into a life-saving operation.

Does that sound a little dramatic?  Are people really going hungry in Gilbert?  That would be a resounding yes!!!  Consider not being able to put food on the table, let alone three meals a day for you or your family.  Arizona currently has over one million residents who have ‘food insecurity’, defined as the condition of not having access to sufficient food, or food of an adequate quality, to meet one's basic needs, including over 300,000 children.

With your support, both financially and as volunteers, Midwest Food Bank collects excess food that would be disposed of by manufacturers and distributors, repackages the food, and distributes those items to over 280 food pantries, churches, schools, and social service outlets free of charge so that those non-profit entities can fulfill their mission, also free of charge.  While Midwest Food Bank does not give out food to individuals, they do partner with numerous agencies in the local area to help fulfill their mission to eradicate food insecurity and hunger.

Now you might be asking, why would a manufacturer or distributor get rid of millions of pounds of food and supplies?  A prime example would be an error in the manufacturing process or damage during the distribution process.  Say a batch of crackers comes out slightly smaller than the size printed on the box or pasta did not come out in the right shape. Those items cannot be commercially sold. However, Midwest Food Bank can accept the donation of these food items by the skid and can repackage into individual servings that labeled, boxed, and put on pallets for distribution to partner agencies throughout Arizona.

Have you ever wondered what happens to a dented pallet of canned goods that cannot be resold at the grocery store?  Midwest Food Bank collects those items and if the primary packaging is not compromised, those items can be repackaged as part of food kits and distributed to our partner agencies.  The goal is ‘building a world less hungry’.

In 2025, Midwest Food Bank, throughout its twelve divisions nationally, rescued over 135 million pounds of food, including 18.5 million pounds of rescued food and supplies right here in Arizona, which supplemented the food supply for over 350,000 residents monthly.  Or in dollar terms, Midwest Food Bank Arizona Division alone rescued $70,000,000 in food and $11,000,000 in supplies that were distributed to our 280 partner agencies.   

To learn more about Midwest Food Bank, visit https://midwestfoodbank.org