Caring businesses and organizations in Monroe County and southeast Michigan’s Downriver communities are battling to help feed local families during the first-ever Gleaners Community Food Bank Downriver-Monroe Food Fight running March 7 – 18, 2016.
This is a friendly competition between organizations in the Downriver and Monroe communities with a goal of raising the most meals (including both food and monetary donations). Winners will be invited to a celebration event and take home trophies to proudly display until the next fight. As an added incentive, all money raised during March 2016 from the Downriver-Monroe Food Fight, will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000, thanks to the generosity of the Harold and Kay match.
“I’m so grateful to the companies and their employees who are embracing this opportunity to make a difference for people in need,” said Gerry Brisson, president of Gleaners Community Food Bank. “The real winners are the local children and families who will receive much needed food assistance because of this effort.”
Every dollar donated equals three meals. The public is invited to support a favorite organization in the food fight by donating nonperishable food items at the group’s location, make a monetary donation in person or online here.
“We know that during the winter months, many are forced to make the tough decision to heat or eat. This effort will help local families not have to make that choice by giving Gleaners Community Food Bank the means to help keep food on the tables for these families living in Monroe County and Downriver,” said Brisson.
All food collected will stay in the Downriver and Monroe communities and will supply local partner agencies like Monroe County Opportunity Program in downtown Monroe and Fish & Loaves Community Food Pantry in Taylor with needed food and funds.
The following companies and organizations have signed on to participate in the Downriver-Monroe Food Fight:
Advance Staffing Solutions – Monroe
Advance Staffing Solutions – Southgate
Advantage One Federal Credit Union – Brownstown Twp.
Advantage One Federal Credit Union – Riverview
Advantage One Federal Credit Union – Southgate
A N Deringer, Inc. – Romulus
Body Energy Fitness – Woodhaven
GM Powertrain – Romulus
Greater Detroit Auto Auction – Brownstown Twp.
Lincoln Park Community Credit Union – Romulus
Manheim Detroit – Carleton
TWB Company – Monroe
United Churches Credit Union – Taylor
Wade Trim – Detroit
Wade Trim – Taylor
Companies interested in participating in the Food Fight can contact Natalie Davidson at ndavidson@gcfb.org or (313)923-3535 ext. 207 for more information. Gleaners helps make participation in this first-ever event is fun, rewarding and easy. Gleaners provides all the supplies needed including boxes for nonperishable donations, canisters for monetary donations, an online Virtual Food Drive page for online donations, posters, plus eBlasts to send out to employees. Gleaners will also facilitate pick-up or delivery of all donations.
About Gleaners Community Food Bank
Everyone wins when hunger is solved. For nearly 40 years, Gleaners Community Food Bank has been “feeding hungry people and nourishing our communities.” Headquartered in Detroit, Gleaners operates five distribution centers in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Monroe counties and provides food to 535 partner soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and other agencies throughout southeastern Michigan. Gleaners collects 34.5 million pounds of food a year and distributes 79,000 meals each day including providing nourishing food and nutrition education to 84,700 children a year. Every dollar donated provides three meals and 93 cents of every donated dollar goes to food and food programs.