The January food drive at the Ross Medical Education Center Brighton, MI campus was a great success. All month, the campus collected canned goods for Bountiful Harvest of Brighton, and altogether, five boxes of canned food, from soup to vegetables to tuna, were donated by students and staff.
Yvonne Cavalli, founder of Bountiful Harvest of Brighton, says that “By working together with human service agencies, charitable organizations, food banks, churches, individuals, and businesses, our combined effort has the potential of being the greatest grassroots campaign to fight hunger in Livingston County.” The organization’s website indicates that more than 2,500 families have been served by the pantry and that just under 250,000 pounds of food and other items have been distributed.
Spearheaded by the Career Services team, Cathy Reilly and Wendy Clise, students, faculty, and staff donated canned goods in an effort to help the furloughed and unpaid workers during the government shutdown as well as to replenish the food pantry after the holidays.
“It’s important to collect food after the holidays because that’s when people are in need the most,” commented Haylie Krpichak, a Medical Assistant student.
Campus Director Susan Mall chose the organization to be the recipient of the donated canned goods: “Bountiful Harvest is a small, community-centered organization that relies on volunteers and donations only.”
Bountiful Harvest of Brighton provides other important services to the Livingston County community. Their Connected Kidz program provides 5th grade students with free laptops to prepare for middle and high school. During the holiday season, Bountiful Harvest of Brighton hosts a Christmas store that provides gifts for parents to select for their children. Children also have the opportunity to pick out gifts for their parents.
The Bountiful Harvest mission statement says: “Bountiful Harvest Inc. is a vocal advocate for the hungry and displaced. We do what is needed in order to help children and families in need. No need is too small and no voice is too quiet to be heard. We will devote the time and energy necessary to educate, advocate, and feed.” More information is available at www.bountifulharvest-mi.org.