Midwest Food Bank is planning a permanent distribution center in Sioux Falls to strengthen food assistance across northwest Iowa, South Dakota, and southwest Minnesota.
The planned Tri-State Division will build on nearly two years of monthly distributions in Sioux Falls, with volunteers transporting food from the organization’s Peoria, Illinois, facility. Midwest Food Bank currently works with about 20 nonprofit partner agencies across the three-state region.
Chief Resource Officer Kristen Patty identified five current northwest Iowa partners:
•West Bend Pantry
•Hawarden Pantry
•George-Bread of Life Pantry
•Lake Park-Dickinson County Hunger Coalition
•Inwood-Manna Market
Patty says the organization is still evaluating facility options and developing its timeline.
“We’re evaluating facility options, developing that timeline. But our goal is a year from now to have a site and have partner agencies picking up daily.”
The Sioux Falls location would become Midwest Food Bank’s 11th distribution facility in the United States.
Building on Existing Regional Partnerships
Patty says relationships developed through the monthly distributions, along with feedback from partner agencies, helped drive the decision to establish a permanent presence. She identified reaching rural communities as a priority for the expansion.
Midwest Food Bank supplies food to nonprofit partners at no cost, allowing those organizations to devote more of their resources to serving people in their own communities.
“Our mission is to share the love of Christ by alleviating hunger and malnutrition and providing disaster relief,” Patty said. “So we provide food to our nonprofit partner agencies at no cost, allowing their resources then to go even further serving in their community.”
The division’s primary focus will be South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota. Patty says agencies’ ability to pick up food in Sioux Falls will help determine how broadly the operation can serve the region.
Monthly distributions will continue while the organization works toward securing a facility. Midwest Food Bank is also considering ways to increase that service during the planning process.
Volunteers and Community Support Needed
Founded in Illinois in 2003, Midwest Food Bank is a faith-based nonprofit that relies heavily on volunteers to procure and distribute food and support its operations.
Patty says that volunteer involvement helps stretch financial contributions.
“And so for every dollar donated to Midwest Food Bank, we can distribute approximately $35 worth of food.”
She says volunteer roles range from bookkeeping to helping distribute food. As the Tri-State Division takes shape, the organization will seek help from individuals, churches, businesses, and other community supporters.
“We will also need financial contributions to help continue to build a local presence in the tri-state area,” Patty said.
In-kind donations will also help support the expansion. Patty says an advisory board is already helping as Midwest Food Bank develops its regional operation and seeks additional nonprofit partners.
Northwest Iowa agencies interested in becoming partners, along with people interested in volunteering or donating, can learn more and connect with the organization at midwestfoodbank.org.
