PONTIAC, Mich. – There are less than two weeks until Thanksgiving and if you already have a good idea of what’s going to be on your table, consider yourself fortunate.
A growing number of Michiganders are facing food insecurity and one nonprofit said they’ve seen an increase four-fold.
Hazel, an 8-year-old girl, saw something from her car seat when she was 4 years old that she didn’t understand. Someone holding a sign asking for food.
Starting with just a few cans of food from her family’s pantry, it’s since evolved into a movement from the Oxford community with children at the helm.
At 8 and a half years old, Hazel and her 6-year-old sister Alice have become food juggernauts for the nonprofit Lighthouse in Pontiac.
The nonprofit said food insecurity is growing almost faster than they can keep up in terms of how many people they’re feeding.
Lighthouse has launched a Thanksgiving food drive to address the holidays and is collecting basic staples -- Cans of beans, boxes of mac and cheese, stuffing, mashed potatoes and non-perishables that can be easily packed and distributed.
This year alone, Hazel, Alice and friends have raised nearly 4,000 pounds of food just for the Thanksgiving Food drive.
By the way, if you have non-Thanksgiving-centric foods, those non-perishables are also welcome because Lighthouse is feeding family all year round.
If you’d like to donate or help out, visit Lighthouse’s official website.