Charitable food organizations, like the Midwest Food Bank are eagerly looking for volunteers comfortable enough to serve, while still recovering from a rough year of production due to the pandemic.
Monica Scheuer, Executive Director with Midwest Food Bank Peoria, says that the pandemic has caused issues such as delays in food supply which have led to a lack of inventory. That in combination with the lack of volunteers to help has really hurt the food bank’s production.
Scheuer says that their focus lately has been geared towards ensuring quality food is being donated and given out.
“So, our focus is really on the quality of food because the people who need food deserve healthy diets just as much as we do that go shopping at the grocery store,” she said.
Scheuer says that over the past year, the food bank has not turned down any willing volunteers. However she says they have taken precautions to ensure safety. She says they ask all volunteers to take self responsibility about their comfort level serving and how they are feeling.
“We really ask that they take self responsibility and that is if they don't feel safe coming out, then please don’t come,” she said. “If they don’t feel well, in any shape or form, please don’t come.”
For more information on how to attend, visit MFB Peoria's website.
Community support is the greatest funding source for WCBU. Donations from listeners and readers means local news is available to everyone as a public service. Join the village that powers public media with your contribution.