Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan is grateful to maintain strong partnerships with organizations that care deeply about securing food for their hungry neighbors. Since October 2020, Planet Fitness has donated nearly $9,000 per month in support of Gleaners’ programs and initiatives, including emergency mobile food distributions across Wayne, Oakland, Livingston, Macomb, and Monroe counties.
“We have been proud to partner with Gleaners Community Food Bank for many years. Although we have not been able to hold our usual staff volunteer days during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are happy we have been able to offer support in other ways,” said Mary Scott, Director of Marketing at Planet Fitness Michigan Group LLC. “Countless members of our community have benefitted from the work of this organization and we are thrilled to be part of it, even from a distance.”
In response to the pandemic crisis, Gleaners increased food distribution by 64 percent to meet the skyrocketing demand for emergency food resources. While this year offers new signs of hope, far too many children, seniors, and other vulnerable populations are still at risk of going hungry. Feeding America projects that 1 in 6 people – including 1 in 5 children – will face food insecurity this summer.
When Planet Fitness experienced months of shutdowns and restrictions due to the pandemic, they cancelled their traditional Pizza Monday and Bagel Tuesday events and reallocated the funds to feeding hungry neighbors in their community through Gleaners. This generous support allows Gleaners to provide food assistance and resources where it is needed the most.
Additionally, Planet Fitness launched a Virtual Food & Fund Drive across its 48 locations in Southeast Michigan. This new platform allows donors a convenient, hassle-free way to donate an amount of their choice or virtually shop for food online. Organizations, groups, and individuals interested in starting their own Virtual Food & Fund Drive may visit www.gleanersfooddrive.org to get started.