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Midwest Food Bank's Harvey Relief Gets Boost From State Farm

Cindy Le
/
WGLT
Relief supplies in boxes at the Midwest Food Bank in north Normal

State Farm has extended a helping hand towards victims of Hurricane Harvey, making a $40,000 donation to the Midwest Food Bank on Wednesday.

The donation will help the food bank purchase supplies for disaster relief boxes, which include food (to feed a family for up to five days) and health kit supplies.

State Farm philanthropy analyst Jerome Maddox said the Bloomington-based insurer was eager to help victims of the most disastrous storm since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Credit Cindy Le / WGLT
/
WGLT
Jerome Maddox from State Farm, left, presents the $40,000 donation to Midwest Food Bank on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017.

“We felt as though we would be able to support (Harvey victims) through providing donations through Midwest (Food Bank),” Maddox said. “They are going directly to those that are in need. (Midwest Food Bank) has the transportation and the aid to provide that … that is one reason we decided we would love to work with them.”

Midwest Food Bank communications director Phil Hodel said he could not recall a busier time at the food bank. He said the reaction from the community has been vital to the operation’s success.

“The outpouring from the community has been so amazing,” Hodel said. “(They have given) monetary donations, food donations, donations of cleaning supplies and items for the hygiene kits we send down … It’s just been amazing to witness all this.”

Midwest Food Bank saw more than 450 volunteers last Saturday alone. Five trucks filled with supplies were soon on their way to Texas.

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Nate Head is a social media intern for GLT. He's a student at Illinois State University.
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