(Feb. 8, 2018 – Detroit, MI) … Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan (Gleaners) has received a $72,500 grant from the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation that allows the food bank to expand their Senior Mobile Food Pantry Program. In 2016, Enterprise launched its Fill Your Tank Program with a $60 million commitment and Feeding America, the largest U.S. domestic hunger-relief and food rescue charity, received $2.5 million to fight hunger among seniors and children.
Gleaners’ Senior Mobile Food Pantry Program increases
access to healthy food among low-income seniors in southeast Michigan.
Low-income seniors represent 11% of Detroit’s population and it is
expected that by 2030, more than 250,000 seniors will live alone in
Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Funding from Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Foundation allows Gleaners to expand their “Senior Mobiles” from four to
nine senior living communities in four counties (Livingston, Macomb,
Oakland, Wayne) throughout metro Detroit. The expanded program will
provide healthy food for 100 seniors at each site for a total reach of
900 low-income seniors each month. In total, the program’s annual
distribution will reach 162,000 pounds of food.
Gerry Brisson, president and CEO of Gleaners, says this grant will help the food bank build upon the success of the program.
“Through
the Senior Food Mobile Pantry program, we are having a positive impact
on this vulnerable population in several ways. The pantry has increased
access to fresh fruits and vegetables, which seniors sometimes can’t
always afford to buy. It’s also helping patients with chronic conditions
such as diabetes manage their health better. And for residents who are
on fixed incomes and often find themselves running out of food and money
by the middle of the month, the pantry is able to help them bridge the
gap.”
In addition to providing food to low-income seniors,
Gleaners’ Senior Mobiles also expands access to nutrition education for
participating seniors by providing knowledge-building activities and
materials for cooking and eating healthy. Distributions will be made to
low-income seniors in Dearborn Heights, Detroit, Ferndale, Howell,
Highland Park, Trenton and Warren.
About Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation
The
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the
Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand. The Foundation was established in 1982 by
Enterprise’s founder, Jack Taylor, to strengthen and give back to the
thousands of communities where customers and employees live and work. In
total, the Foundation has contributed more than $300 million to
nonprofits focused on community improvement, education and environmental
stewardship. Ninety-six percent of the grants made by the Foundation
fulfill requests by employees to help local causes they personally
champion and actively support. In addition, the Foundation provides
sizable grants to nonprofits that have strategic or social importance,
as well as to relief projects as they arise, including natural disasters
that affect customers and employees.
About Gleaners Community Food Bank
Headquartered
in Detroit, Gleaners operates five distribution centers in Wayne,
Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Monroe counties and provides food to 499
partner soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and other agencies
throughout southeastern Michigan. In 2017, Gleaners distributed more
than 42 million pounds of food to neighbors in need! On average,
Gleaners distributes the equivalent of 96,178 meals each day and
provides nourishing food and nutrition education to 171,000 children a
year. Every dollar donated provides three meals and 96 cents of every
donated dollar goes to food and food programs. For more information,
visit https://www.gcfb.org.
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