DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Northwest Detroit woman who runs a front yard food pantry has been overwhelmed with donations after the community learned of her struggle to meet growing community needs.
We first shared Nicole Lee's story of the NW Detroit Blessing Boxes in July.
Now, her front room is packed with food donations that began pouring in just days after her story aired.
Watch Carli Petrus' report on the outpouring of support below:
"People showed up at the door, they sent stuff, they literally came to the door with trucks of stuff," Lee said.
The response has far exceeded her expectations.
"I expected donations. I know there are people out here who care. Did I think it would look like this in here? No, not at all," Lee said.
Some contributions have come from surprising distances, including a food pantry in Georgia that sent multiple shipments after seeing the news coverage.
"We had a food pantry donate from Georgia, which I thought was so cool. They sent us stuff like three days in a row on the Amazon wishlist, another food pantry," Lee said. "They said we saw you on the news and they sent it — I thought it was so cool."
Watch some deliveries pour in below:
Lee says this is the largest donation response she's ever received, and the timing couldn't be better for community members who depend on her service.
"It's all going to be put to use and people are going to be so grateful," Lee said.
Watch our July report with Nicole Lee below:
Tyana Moore has been visiting the pantry since it first opening in 2024.
"We were going through a rough time when I was pregnant and I came across the Facebook page and she was promoting. She said her son passed and she was just doing a good cause for the community," Moore said.
Moore expressed joy at seeing the outpouring of support for the pantry.
"I'm happy for her — it's amazing. I'm happy for the community. You know, people go through things. You never know when you might need the extra help and this is exactly what we get here," Moore said.
While Lee describes herself as "just a woman who gives away food," she acknowledges the ongoing challenges of maintaining the pantry.
"I am grateful for places like Food Rescue US Detroit, Metro Food Rescue. They keep me in stuff when they can and that helps a lot, but when the story dies down, the need is still going to be there," Lee said.
Despite the current abundance of non-perishable food items, Lee notes they still urgently need feminine products and diapers.
If you're interested in donating, you can visit NW Detroit Blessing Boxes' Amazon Wishlist.
If you are looking for help yourself, you can visit the front yard food pantry at 11640 West Parkway Street in Detroit.
—————
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.
