From when he first learned of “food banking” in 1982 until cancer forced his retirement in December 2010, Nonprofit Innovations co-founder John Arnold focused his work on food bank and food pantry projects. John directed three food banks: the Central Illinois Food Bank (1982-84) as its founding Executive Director, the St. Louis Area Food Bank (1984-87), and finally, after a stint on the Second Harvest (now Feeding America) national staff, took the helm of what is now Feeding America West Michigan from 1989 to 2010.
Over the course of his career, John oversaw the distribution of 321 million pounds of food aid, and pioneered many landmark innovations in the art and science of food banking, becoming a leading advocate of choice pantries – letting people seeking food assistance assemble their own food boxes, and mobile food pantries.
In 2009, Feeding America named John a John Van Hengel Fellow in recognition of his contributions and dedication to food banking. That same year, John and son Jeff Thomas established Nonprofit Innovations as an ongoing independent vehicle for their shared work to improve the charitable food system.
John passed away in March 2012. His obituary is available here.
