Given the difficulty of Michigan's current economic circumstances and the increase in food insecurity, Food Gatherers is preparing to offer free summer meals to kids in Washtenaw County. These free meals will be handed out to kids in the community on a first-come, first-served basis which has already started on Thursday 17th. Their hope is that you can donate so they can build a better future.
This summer, Food Gatherers will offer free summer meals to Washtenaw County kids delivered by volunteers and donations from generous donors across Washtenaw County. Their hope is that their current story will have a positive impact on our community and inspire others to help support this very worthy cause.
With schools closing and the pandemic, there are many families in need this summer, so food gatherers are volunteering to give food to the ones in need. Summer is a tough time for kids and if the local schools aren't open, then kids may have no place to go during the day.
Summer meals are one of Food Gatherers' most efficient programs, allowing them to give access to over 9,000 meals per week with each volunteer who comes in at least twice per week." Food Gatherers has served over two million meals since its inception in 1971.
In order to help provide these meals, Food Gatherer's need volunteers and food donations. Last year they had an incredible number of volunteers who helped serve 3,000 meals and they know that this year will be just as successful.
Food Gatherers is a nonprofit organization that seeks to ensure the availability of quality food and to encourage community involvement in addressing hunger through education, advocacy, and direct service.
It is also a federally funded, anti-hunger agency that serves Washtenaw County with a number of activities including food pantries, Kids Cafe Program and Senior Cafe Program.
Kids Cafe and Senior Cafe are two programs that give free lunch to kids during school break or weekends. According to Carl Dix, Food Gatherers director of development, there will be two sites for Kids Cafes: one at Food Gatherers at 344 S. Fifth Ave.
For 25 years, Food Gatherers has been working to alleviate food insecurity by gathering and distributing emergency food for people whose income or physical condition makes them unable to provide food for themselves or their families. They have heard from many sources that there are more people with greater need this year than last. "We're expecting a 10% increase in demand this summer," said Pete Quist, the Director of Metaphor Project Management at General Motors Foundation who oversees the General Motors Foundation Emergency Food Program grant project under which Food Gatherers operates.
The Washtenaw County Labor Market Information & Analysis Center reports that the percentage of unemployed adults in Michigan, specifically in Washtenaw County, has been increasing gradually since 2010.
While Food Gatherers doesn't track numbers by specific race or ethnicity, they collect data from their network locations and are making plans to target areas where they know kids are most likely to be hungry. They will collect data through surveys and interviews to look at the specific issues people report.
The food giveaway will be low contact and there is no need to prove that someone is in need and the distribution will be focused on fresh produce, dairy, meat and canned products, and will be in the communities of the people that need it the most.
The goal is to have as many distribution sites as possible. The first one will be at their current location on Fifth Avenue in Ann Arbor. The second food gatherer will be in Ypsilanti near the Ypsilanti Community Action Agency (YCAP) and directly serving those who are hungry. YCAP has a long history of working with Food Gatherers and has seen food insecure populations grow since they opened their doors in 2012.