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1		SENATE RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
3		recognize the Midwest Food Bank on 20 years of working to
4		alleviate hunger; and
5		WHEREAS, In 2003, ten Bloomington-Normal nonprofit
6		agencies issued a request for donations from the community;
7		with a deep commitment to their faith and a firm belief in
8		helping if one has the resources to do so, Robert, David, and
9		Paul Kieser decided to take action and turned a shed on their
10		family farm into a distribution site for local food pantries,
11		with the first donations involving cars and vans lining up for
12		donations from the shed; and
13		WHEREAS, The Kieser family realized the need was much
14		bigger; they began researching ways to access larger loads of
15		donated food and learning how to operate a food bank; and
16		WHEREAS, Due to the generosity of donors and volunteers,
17		the Midwest Food Bank now offers service worldwide and is
18		positioned for growth, seeking new partnerships and expanding
19		its programs in the continuing fight against food insecurity;
20		and
21		WHEREAS, The Midwest Food Bank currently distributes

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1		nearly $34 million worth of food to over 2,200 non-profit
2		organizations each month from 12 locations in Illinois,
3		Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Texas, Pennsylvania, New
4		England, East Africa, and Haiti; and
5		WHEREAS, In 2022, more than 30,000 volunteers offered in
6		excess of 350,000 hours of service, the equivalent of over 175
7		full-time employees; the work of these dedicated volunteers
8		allows the Midwest Food Bank to operate efficiently while
9		keeping administrative costs low; volunteers are fundamental
10		to the organization's success and also gain the unique
11		perspective that worldwide hunger is prevalent and that their
12		efforts can make a difference; therefore, be it
13		RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
14		ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the
15		Midwest Food Bank on 20 years of working to alleviate hunger
16		and malnutrition and providing disaster relief without
17		discrimination; and be it further
18		RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19		presented to the Midwest Food Bank as a symbol of our respect
20		and esteem.