BELLE ISLE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Forgotten Harvest is working to tackle food insecurity by providing 100,000 lunches for kids across Metro Detroit this summer.
Watch Jolie Sherman's full report in the video player below
According to their website, more than 542,000 people live in poverty in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties, which includes over 174,000 children.
That's why volunteers recently assembled 3,000 lunches during Metro Detroit Youth Day on Belle Isle earlier this month, while dozens gathered at Forgotten Harvest's main campus in Oak Park to pack an additional 2,500 meals.
"You take the sandwich, you put it in the bag, then you come over here, grab the apples," explained volunteer Charlie Bamberger from Bloomfield Hills, demonstrating the assembly process.
Each lunch contains a fresh cheese and turkey sandwich, grape juice, fruit, and a sweet treat.
"So, when school is out, we provide the lunches. We go all over metro Detroit, Oakland County, Wayne County and Macomb County, we provide all the lunches for all the kids that are out of school," said Semica Escoe, Forgotten Harvest's Distribution Center Manager.
The prepared meals are delivered to various distribution sites, including St. Mark's Temple in Detroit, where hundreds of children receive food weekly.
"Yeah, it really helps all of us a lot because, you know, we can't really go to the grocery store all the time, so we just come around here, get a quick little lunch, and we're all good," said Lydia Tyson from Detroit.
Pastor Donald Davis of Saint Mark's Holy Temple and Gerrine Strother, who manages the food pantry, have been feeding their community for many years and refuse to turn anyone away.
"It's our pleasure to serve them. Because the need is real, we really have a need in this community," Strother said.
"In this community, we have a whole lot of children. So we have an opportunity and privilege to feed them," Davis said.
Olivia Atnew, a volunteer from Fraser, shared her motivation: "I grew up with kids in school who didn't always have lunch in the summer, and so I know that it can be hard for a lot of people who this is their only meal."
She added, "It's a beautiful thing to know that people give their own free time without being paid, just their time from their heart to come and help us out."
These lunches are available for pickup Monday through Friday at Forgotten Harvest distribution sites. To find a location near you, contact Forgotten Harvest during their regular business hours 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 248-967-1500.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
