Midwest Food Bank continues their work to alleviate food insecurity worldwide.
Midwest Food Bank, as a nonprofit organization, was founded in 2003 by David Keiser and his family on their family farm in Bloomington, Illinois. After reading in the local paper that several food pantries in their community had repeatedly bare shelves, the Keiser family turned their barn into a distribution center for local food pantries, gathering excess food from several sources to distribute. Midwest Food Bank began expanding in 2005 after contributing to disaster relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina.
Midwest Food Bank Georgia was founded in 2011 upon the realization that there should be a presence in the southeast part of the United States where several types of natural disasters were common. Currently, Midwest Food Bank operates ten locations in the United States and two internationally, Haiti and Nairobi, Kenya. In 2023, Midwest Food Bank was listed on Forbes list of “Top 100 Charities in America” and was ranked the Largest Food Bank in America by revenue according to Food Bank News.
As a faith-based organization, it is the mission of Midwest Food Bank to share the love of Christ by alleviating hunger and malnutrition locally and throughout the world and providing disaster relief; all without discrimination. Midwest Food Bank partners with the Salvation Army to respond with water and food to natural disasters throughout the United States.
Midwest Food Bank Georgia, located in Peachtree City, distributes over $30 million dollars’ worth of food annually into our community to alleviate food insecurity. They do so by utilizing volunteers to rescue food while partnering with nonprofits to provide food for the hungry at zero cost. Midwest Food Bank’s program to provide a source of zero cost food begins by connecting with food donors such as food manufacturers, food distribution centers, and grocery stores. Once the donated food is obtained, MFB Georgia utilizes over 4,000 volunteers a year to inventory, process, package, and distribute the food to our more than 210 non-profit agency partners across the Southeastern United States. Examples of MFB Georgia’s nonprofit partners are food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, residential programs, and child feeding programs.
Midwest Food Bank Georgia relies heavily on local businesses and individuals to support their operations. Volunteers come as members of church and service organizations, along with team building events for school groups, businesses, and sports teams. These individual and business partnerships are also the cornerstone to Midwest Food Bank Georgia’s financial stability. MFB Georgia funds their mission predominantly through individual and corporate donors, along with through grant funding. They also host four annual fundraisers (Fore Our Community Golf Classic, Miles for Midwest 5K, Peanut Butter Pickleball Tournament, and their Harvest of Blessings Fundraising Dinner).
For more information on how you can partner with Midwest Food Bank Georgia to serve our community, please visit their website, https://midwestfoodbank.org/locations/peachtree-city-ga.
PTC3 Guatemala Mission Continues
It began as a shoe drive in 2011 for the residents of a small city in Guatemala that quickly morphed into a shoe, clothing, and soccer ball drive. In 2012 it blossomed into a home building project. Literally a home building project, singular. Armed with a little bit of construction know-how and hearts to help others, a small group from Peachtree City Christian Church (PTC3) flew to Guatemala and built their first home. Although only one home was built on this initial expedition, it was a crucial learning experience that helped create a template that they could efficiently reproduce in the future. These little homes, which have a surface area of just ten by twenty feet, a solid door, and a tin roof, place an emphasis on functionality.
That template has evolved to the point that they produced 18 houses and one church in less than a week during their 2023 mission. The home production isn’t the only aspect of the mission that has expanded. Their yearly mission now includes shoes, clothing, soccer balls, medical care for kids, clean water initiatives, and 3 months food bag supplies to all residents of the homes – including residents of the homes they’ve built over the past 12 years.
The mission takes lots of hands to accomplish. The 2024 build team will consist of 45 volunteers, and the medical team will include 15 volunteers. To prepare the personnel and equipment, the operation now starts six months in advance, and it is repeated every June. The 2024 plans are well underway. The goal is to match the results from last year: 18 homes and one church. The homes will be filled with families that currently either have no shelter, or have makeshift huts made of scraps of tin, cardboard and tarps they find. Village elders decide which households and areas of land receive houses.
As of January 2023 PTC3 had built 168 homes and 3 churches and served over 1,000 children medically. These inexpensive homes offer shelter to families that would never be able to purchase one on their own, even though they aren’t much more than a modern tool shed. Each house costs approximately $1500 (USD) and is constructed using volunteer labor and charitable contributions gathered by PTC3. The cost of each team member or participant is $1200 per person, which includes transportation, housing, and meals that is also covered by sponsorships or donations. There is a golf fundraiser in May that raises funds to support the mission. To participate in the tournament, get involved or support the mission, go to www.ptc3.com for details.
Angel’s House - Provides a safe, nurturing home for teen girls in crisis; Volunteer Opportunities. 770-251-7050; theangelshouse.org
Armed Forces Mission - AFM works with people who are contemplating suicide and drives focus and attention to this epidemic through public awareness.
BLOOM - Bloom is a private, non-profit foster care organization. They recruit, support and train foster families who give displaced children hope and a home life for the next phase of their lives. Volunteer Opportunities. 115 Marquis Dr., Fayetteville 770-460-6652
Camp Southern Ground - Over 400-acre facility in Fayette County to serve children of all abilities; 404-941-3480; For the camp or to volunteer: 678-561-9600 campsouthernground.org
Clothes Less Traveled Thrift Store - Thrift store offering gently-used clothing, household items and furniture; all proceeds are donated to local area charities. Volunteer Opportunities 770-486-8517; clotheslesstraveled.org
CORRAL: Coweta Organization Riding Rehab & Learning - Provides therapeutic horseback riding facilities and instruction for the mentally and physically; corraltrc.org
Coweta Senior Services - Promotes positive aging through support services and enrichment classes/programs; Patricia Hood: 770-252-6429; coweta.ga.us
The Eden Project - Their philosophy is to create a holistic, multi-disciplinary support network in each community to facilitate reintegration for veterans and their families. Volunteer Opportunities 805 South Glynn St. Ste 127, Fayetteville 678-632-5383
Fayette Pregnancy Resource Center - Provides support for women, men and families facing an unplanned pregnancy; 770-719-2288; fayetteprc.com
Fayette Senior Services - Promotes positive aging through support services and enrichment classes/programs; Volunteer Opportunities 770-461-0813; fayss.org
Fayette Thrift Shop - Thrift shop and 501c3 charity operated by mostly retired seniors and gives all proceeds to Promise Place. Volunteer Opportunities. 740. N. Glynn St., Fayetteville. 770-460-7199.
Healing Bridge Clinic - Provides routine, non-emergency medical and nursing care to the uninsured in Fayette, Coweta and South Fulton counties; Volunteer Opportunities. 770-681-0157; healingbridgeclinic.org
Lekotek of Georgia, Inc. - Conducts play/learning sessions in which adapted computer and educational materials are loaned to help infants and children with physical and/or cognitive disabilities; Volunteer Opportunities. 404-633-3430; lekotekga.org
Midwest Food Bank - Georgia Division - Food bank ministry distributing food at no cost to social services agencies; 770-486-1103. Volunteer Opportunities. peachtree.midwestfoodbank.org/home
Promise Place - Comprehensive domestic violence services for Fayette County; Volunteer Opportunities. 770-460-1604; Hotline promiseplace.org
The Real Life Center - Helps those facing life’s unanticipated challenges; a variety of programs such as counseling financial assistance, food pantry/clothes closet and career help. Volunteer Opportunities. 770-631-9334; reallifecenter.org
Royal Animal Refuge - Dedicated to working with the community, area shelters, and local rescue groups in developing a network of supporters and volunteers. Volunteer Opportunities. royalanimalrefuge.org
Southern Conservation Trust - Saves greenspaces for people and wildlife, owns and/or manages 1,600+ acres, including Flat Creek Nature Area, Line Creek Nature Area, Morgan Grove Nature Area, Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary and The Ridge Nature area. Volunteer Opportunities. 770-486-7774; sctlandtrust.org
Southside Support - Offers connections for families with special needs children through social media, parent education and community outings. Volunteer Opportunities. 770-878-0526; southsidesupport.org
Wellspring Treasures Thrift Shop - Supports Wellspring Living, which confronts the issue of childhood sexual abuse and exploitation through treatment, education and advocacy programs for girls and women; Store: 770-632-1788. Volunteer Opportunities: 770-631-8888; wellspringliving.org