This summer, the staff and students from the Taylor campus of Ross Medical Education Center wanted to do something to positively impact their community. For food banks, it is a common occurrence to be in need of food and help. Many times donors give and volunteers visit during the winter and holidays, but the donations of goods and time slow down tremendously in the summer months. In order to help with some of the need, volunteers from the Taylor campus headed to the local Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit, Michigan to give of their time and labor.
They all met together early on a Saturday morning to see what they could do. Gleaners representatives were so thankful for the help and soon had the Ross volunteers packaging cereal into one pound bags. The staff and students enjoyed the simple but impactful task. They shared about the experience that, “it felt good to help out our hungry neighbors.” And helping out their hungry neighbors is exactly what Gleaners strives to do throughout the year.
Gleaners Food Bank works hard to service needy families in the downriver community. In fact, last year they were able to distribute more than 34 million pounds of food throughout southeastern Michigan to over 500 partner organizations that include soup kitchens, shelters, and food pantries. This has been their mission for nearly 40 years of “feeding hungry people and nourishing our communities.” For every dollar donated, Gleaners uses 94 cents for food and food programs to help those in need. Not only that, but according to their website, $1 provides three meals for a hungry neighbor.
If you are interested in learning more about Gleaners, their programs, and how you can help feed those in need in your community, visit the Gleaners Facebook page or their website at www.gcfb.org.