At the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North's Lunch Meeting on December 17, 2020, we had a special check distribution from the Pandemic Relief for Detroit Global Grant and T.C. Collins talked about Willow Run Acres in Ypsilanti.
Manish Mehta started the meeting by describing the Pandemic Relief Global Grant. The Global Grant will provide PPE donations to Metro Detroit hospitals, medical clinics, and nursing homes working with the aged and underserved populations, and cash assistance to nine food banks serving the hardest-hit areas in Detroit and neighbouring communities in Ypsilanti, Pontiac, Novi and Ann Arbor.
The 2 organizations we celebrated at this meeting was Food Gatherers and Ypsilanti Meal on Wheels. First Helen Starman talked about Food Gatherers, "we are a food bank serving Washtenaw County". Food Gatherers serves 170 non-profit agencies and programs providing direct food assistance in the form of hot meals, nutritious snacks or emergency groceries to low-income adults, seniors and children in Washtenaw County.
Area Rotarians and volunteers from Palav will deliver purchased critical PPE to Veterans Administration Hospital in Detroit, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit Mercy Dental Clinic, Brilliant Detroit Community Outreach Services, Say Detroit Community Outreach Services, UMRC
Porter Hill Nursing Home and Presbyterian Village Nursing Homes. In aggregate, these PPE supplies include nearly 10,000 specialty face masks and face shields, 75,000 surgical, nitrile and latex gloves, 250 gowns, dozens of sanitization stations, thermometers and safety signage.
The rest of the Organization will be getting a donation of a predetermined amount to help them through COVID-19.
The 2 organizations we celebrated at this meeting was Food Gatherers and Ypsilanti Meal on Wheels. First Helen Starman talked about Food Gatherers, "we are a food bank serving Washtenaw County". Food Gatherers serves 170 non-profit agencies and programs providing direct food assistance in the form of hot meals, nutritious snacks or emergency groceries to low-income adults, seniors and children in Washtenaw County.
Food Gatherers partners with:
- Mostly free (70%) and low cost food
- Capacity building grants
- Training to register eligible clients for federal and state benefit programs
- Customized food safety training by licensed food safety professionals on our staff
Food Gatherers provides direct service through our Community Kitchen and Job Training Program located in the Robert J. Delonis Center in downtown Ann Arbor:
- 1,600 volunteers prepare and serve nearly 75,000 plates of food to people in need each year at the Community Kitchen.
- Students of the Job Training and Internship programs are chosen from at-risk youth (ages 16-20). They gain basic training in the culinary arts and work to develop work ethics and life skills.
Helen told the club that the $2500.00, had bought a electric pallet jack. Because of COVID-19 they can not use volunteers so the staff is doing all of the work, which have increased a lot. the new electric pallet jack has made the staffs work much easier. The staff is very appreciative and thanks us.
Then Kelly Schwartz from Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels talked about their service. Meals on Wheels distributes meals to if an individual that are
- generally homebound, able to leave the home only for medical appointments and occasional outings.
- unable to obtain or prepare complete, nutritious meals due to health or disability.
- without a spouse or caregiver who is willing or able to provide meals.
- need meals for at least three weeks. (At the discretion of the Director, meals may be delivered for a shorter period of time.)
- able to feed yourself.
- unable to participate in congregate meals, such as those offered at local senior centers.
- Your dietary needs can be appropriately met by the Meals on Wheels program without jeopardizing your health.
- You are the spouse or unpaid caregiver of a Meals on Wheels client.
Kelly told the club, that the donation of $2,500.00 will go to buying items to be given out to individuals they serve.
Items that are needed during this time of COVID-19.
- masks
- thermometers
- magazines, with games that will keep the individuals busy, as they need to be alone.
Kelly thanks the Global Grant for the donation.
In the Rotary Magazine (Digital Edition} July 2021 issue Kris Vire, wrote a story about the Global Grant called Friends In Need: An international relationship came full circle when clubs in India provided aid to Detroit at the start of the pandemic
Lastly we had the speaker, T.C. Collins from Willow Run Acres of Ypsilanti. T.C. Collins is the founder of Willow Run Acres. T.C. started gardening and farming at 2-3 years old with his great great grandparents. As a descendant of former slaves, the legacy of farming and gardening has been preserved in his family along with other often lost traditions. His Southern roots gave him an appreciation for green space and he has been living "organically" since before it was popular. TC manages Many gardens and farms through out Michigan and Ohio.
T.C. told the club, that Willow Run Acres is a nonprofit organization located in Ypsilanti, Michigan who educates the community and other local surrounding counties with hands-on gardening experiences, gardening classes, gardening education, annual Potato Day, wellness ventures, and sustainability in a holistic & healthy approach within the community starting at toddlers through seniors.
Willow Run Acres offers educational/gardening classes for all skills/age levels, garden safety classes, yearly Potato Day Programs, food distribution, service the community with weekly/monthly clean-up sessions, gardening wellness sites, role modeling/mentor opportunities, and other community engagements.
T.C. is preparing raised garden beds in which he and volunteers plant vegetables, that when grown, he gives to the needy.
It was a very busy meeting on December 17th.
