DETROIT – Volunteers are working to feed Metro Detroit families in need this holiday season.
A well-organized line of volunteers spent their Saturday bagging food to give away to families. Local nonprofit Youth Are Bigger Than Life partnered with the James H. Cole Legacy Foundation for a holiday food giveaway, and they expect to feed 500 families this season.
On Saturday, Avonta Graves picked up a box of canned goods, dry milk, pasta, cereal and non-perishable items.
“I think it’s awesome,” Graves said. “There’s a lot of people struggling; it’s the holiday season. I think it’s great.”
The Graves family, from Detroit, has been hit especially hard this year because of the pandemic.
“I just had an uncle die,” Graves said Saturday. “I got a call 30 minutes ago. He died from COVID. It’s been rough.”
Marvin Skipper, with Youth Are Bigger Than Life, said they work to connect with community members like Graves.
“This is family, growing up in the neighborhood,” Skipper said. “If it’s food, if it’s back-to-school, gotta help one block at a time.”
Two dozen volunteers worked feverishly on Saturday to disseminate $6,500 of food from Gleaners Community Food Bank, purchased by the partnering organizations. Youth Are Bigger Than Life and the James H. Cole Legacy Foundation plan to make the holiday food giveaway an annual event.
“Everybody is helping out and making things run smoothly,” said Brice Green with the James H. Cole Home for Funerals. “As people pull up, we’re delivering food packages to them and anything they need, we’re here for them.”
The funeral home is a Black owned business that has been operating for more than a century.
“My brother and myself are fourth generation and just means a great deal to continue this legacy and service people of Detroit” Green said.
The two organizations bought $6,500 of food from Gleaners and plan to make this an annual event.
See the full report in the video above.
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