During the month of January, the staff, faculty, and students at the Ross Medical Education Center campus in Brighton collected non-perishable food for donation to the Gleaners Shared Harvest Pantry of Livingston County. Many individuals from the Ross community in Brighton brought in cans, boxes, and other non-perishable food items to donate to those in need in their community. The generosity of the Brighton campus will help stock the food pantry during these cold winter months. The pantry helps not only families but also the vulnerable senior citizens in the community.
Gleaners Community Food Bank was opened in 1977 by Gene Gonya in a warehouse on Detroit’s east side. It was one of the very first food banks in the United States, and came together with other food banks across the nation to form the cooperative that is now Feeding America. Gene Gonya and Gleaners have been featured in Reader’s Digest and the food bank was named the Best Managed Not-for-Profit by Crain’s Detroit Business in 1990.
While Gleaners only services southeastern Michigan, there are many local food banks scattered throughout the country. According to the Feeding America website, statistics indicate that in the United States, 1 in 6 people struggles with hunger. Some families have to decide whether to purchase food or pay for heat during the winter. Seniors have to choose between food or medication. The Ross community wanted to make sure that many in their area were able to pay their bills and have food on the table this winter. Mary Schwaderer, Financial Aid Student Support Representative from the Brighton campus, exclaimed about the experience, “I fed someone today! What an awesome privilege to be able to say this!” The campus staff, students, and faculty loved the experience and look forward to partnering with Gleaners again in the future.
Look around your local community to see what you can do to help your neighbors! Check out http://www.feedingamerica.org/ to find a food bank near you!