As the season c
Midwest Food Bank takes this information to start preparing for an increase in activity for the upcoming months.
Member Mike Swartz explains why food assistance increases as it gets colder, “The need for food never stops, and that’s what surprises us the most. You’d think there’d be Lowell’s in the season, but there isn’t. There is usually a calorie uptake during the winter season to stay warm, and there are usually homebound. Those who need it the most.”
Demand reaches further than the Normal community; to accommodate, the Normal location helps supply other food pantry’s across the state.
Volunteer Alan Hopkins shares how the Normal location reaches out to other communities, “Of food pantries that there are across the area that the Normal location services, about 450 different food pantries. To me, that’s an amazing amount of people that need food.”
For volunteers like Hopkins, one way to make a difference is by keeping the food moving, but Midwest Food Bank says there are plenty of different ways for people to get involved.
As Thanksgiving and other seasonal holidays approach, people may have leftover items in their pantry they will not use, which can be donated to local food pantries.
If you are interested in volunteering or donating to the food bank, more information can be found at midwestfoodbank.org.