Together, we can make it a Hunger Free Summer for kids in Southeast Michigan!

According to Feeding America, nearly 1.3 million people in Michigan are facing hunger—and of that total, more than 305,000 are children. Gleaners remains on the frontlines, serving as a crucial safety net for kids and families in need. In Gleaners' fiscal year 2021, we distributed a record-breaking 71.4 million pounds of food to our neighbors in need! 

Gleaners works with a network of more than 600 agency partners, including soup kitchens, shelters, and food pantries, to ensure everyone in our community has enough to eat. Additionally, Gleaners continues to operate dozens of community mobile sites to anyone who approaches us in need. 

“My two-year-old doesn’t eat anything except fruits and vegetables,” said Kasi W., a nursing student and mother of two who recently visited Gleaners’ community mobile site in Southfield. “I’m mainly breastfeeding my two-month-old, but if I can’t nourish myself, I can’t nourish her.”

Please consider supporting the Hunger Free Summer match today to help mothers like Kasi provide wholesome, nutritious food to their children. 

Summer Food Service Program:
From June through August, Gleaners will continue providing meals through the Summer Food Service Program sites at nearly 70 locations to maintain the food support families have come to rely on in summer months. 

The Summer Food Service Program uses two distribution models to meet the needs of children 18 years or younger across Southeast Michigan: 45 stationary meal sites, such as summer camps and daycare facilities, and 24 mobile delivery sites, typically located in low-income housing neighborhoods. For both models, children are provided with nutritionally balanced prepared meals, which include a protein, a grain, a fruit, a vegetable, and milk.    

Community Mobile Distribution Sites: 

Since the start of the pandemic, Gleaners has distributed food by the truckload five days a week to hungry neighbors across Southeast Michigan, from urban neighborhoods to rural towns. Our community mobile sites provide each household with approximately 30 pounds of nutritious food – including fresh milk, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and shelf-stable items – with no appointment necessary and built on a drive-thru, “no contact” model.