Food Bank of Siouxland Proud to Announce 2025 Celebrate Our Friends Winners

Food Bank leadership standing with Linda Scheid and Legacy Award Winners, Seaboard Triumph Foods.

The Food Bank of Siouxland is proud to announce the recipients for the annual Celebrate Our Friends event, highlighting individuals and organizations that have made an impact through service, donations, and dedication to fighting hunger throughout Siouxland. The five awards given were: Volunteer of the Year, Agencies of the Year – Metro & Rural, and the Linda Scheid Legacy Awards.

The Volunteer of the Year award goes to an individual or organization who has dedicated their time and resources and whose efforts have had a major effect on fighting hunger throughout our communities.

This year’s recipients are Becky and Kevin Wernli. The Wernli duo come to the Food Bank of Siouxland on average about 6 hours a week and through sorting frozen and dry product, they have become very familiar with food safety and warehouse processes. Their consistent time and efforts have saved the Food Bank staff time, getting product out to agencies quicker.

They also assisted in the Food Bank’s recent Healthy Kids Iowa program by volunteering extra time to box up extra product and help at the distributions, doing whatever was needed there.

“Thank you to everyone, all the staff is so kind,” said the Wernlis. “We really appreciate the kindness everyone has shown us and we appreciate the opportunity to help out.”

Agencies of the Year are awarded to two of our 100+ agencies – one from the Sioux City metro area, one from the greater Siouxland area – who go above and beyond in working with the Food Bank of Siouxland in distributing food.

This year’s Sioux City metro area award goes to Grace United Methodist Church. For almost 10 years now, Grace UMC has supported neighbors throughout Sioux City and beyond in receiving nutritious food. This year alone they have served nearly 800 neighbors a month through their weekly distributions.

Pantry volunteers serve go out of their way in working with neighbors to find what they like and need. They’ve also teamed up with local organizations like Up From the Earth and the Morningside Ag. Department to ensure neighbors receive fresh and healthy options.

“Thank you for this recognition from the Food Bank of Siouxland and to the volunteers,” says Grace UMC’s Rev. John Christianson. “Thank you so much for the opportunity to do the work that expresses our values as a Christian Unity, helping our neighbors and extending a little bit of love.”

Wes Ratcliff, volunteer leader for the Grace Food Pantry says when he started in 2023 it was a wake up call for him. He went on to share the increase in neighbors they’ve served since then, thanking the Food Bank and other donors for their support in ensuring the community is fed.

This year’s greater Siouxland area award goes to Christian Action Pantry (CAP) of Cherokee. Since becoming a partner in 2018, CAP’s efforts have assisted the Food Bank in reaching the more rural populations that face a few more barriers with access to food. In 2024, they were able to provide over 2,300 meals to neighbors experiencing food insecurity.

In working with their volunteer base, the pantry continues to find to ways of encouraging neighbors to use the food they receive in different ways, including printing out recipes for foods they may not cook on a regular basis.

“It’s been a privilege and an honor to serve this community. You would have to see how we interact with our volunteers and our clients to make them feel welcome,” says Randy Kane a CAP of Cherokee volunteer. “Giving them dignity and honor to make them feel comfortable while coming. There are many tears of happiness that have been shared.”

Kane also shared a story of a young couple who came into unexpected circumstances, needing to visit the pantry. Once back on their feet, they began donating eggs and other items to return the generosity and support they received.

The Linda Scheid Legacy Award goes to an individual or organization that has supported the Food Bank of Siouxland over the course of many years in our mission of fighting hunger throughout our communities.

This year’s recipient is Seaboard Triumph Foods. Through many avenues, Seaboard Triumph Foods has been incredibly generous to the Food Bank of Siouxland. For the past 6 years, Seaboard Triumph has graciously agreed to be the Presenting Sponsor of the Food Bank’s largest fundraising event of the year.

Seaboard Triumph Foods has coordinated donations directly to partner organizations like the ones previously awarded. Not only have they donated over 15,000 pounds of product to the Food Bank, but they have also set up food drives and fundraisers amongst their many teams bringing in much needed non-perishable items as well.

“Thank you so much for having us here, at Seaboard Triumph Foods, community is one of our core values so we focus hard on making sure we do everything we can to get involved. Our team members want to help feed the world because that’s what they do every day,” says Deanna Weidner, Vice President of Human Resources. “We know what a good meal means and all of the things a good meal does. You think about a family that doesn't have the opportunity to have a dinner, what they’re missing out on. On behalf of our 3,000 employees, thank you for honoring us here.”

The Food Bank of Siouxland also honored outgoing Board Member and Past President, Kelli Meister, Vice President of Finance at Seaboard Triumph Foods.

“I’ve been a part of the Food Bank of Siouxland for 6 years and there’s a lot of exciting things that are happening with the Food Bank,” says Meister. “I’ve been lucky to see the growth of the team and really see how the Food Bank has evolved, especially just being out in the community and through social media and all the things that it touches. It makes me really proud to be a board member and sad that it’s coming to an end shortly.”

The Food Bank of Siouxland also recognized Legacy Award Honorable Mentions: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sioux City, the Morningside University Agriculture Department, and Target for their contributions to the Food Bank of Siouxland.

In our mission of being the leading year-round food source for nonprofit partner agencies, we would like to thank all who have joined us in alleviating hunger throughout our communities. Thanks to dedicated volunteers, donors, and supporters, we are able to make an impact on countless neighbors facing food insecurity.