Food Gatherers

We glean surplus food from more than 300 sources including restaurants like Tio’s Southwestern Cafe, food retailers like Busch’s Fresh Food Market, food wholesalers like Gordon’s Food Service and University of Michigan dormitories. Our association with The Food Bank Council of Michigan connects us to statewide food donations, and through Feeding America—the national network of food banks—we are connected to large corporate donors such as Kraft, ConAgra and Kellogg. Then there are people like you who donate canned items, food from gardens, dry goods and money. Food Gatherers exists because of the caring and generosity of many individuals in the community! Food Gatherers provides enough food for more than 8,000 meals a day. Food Gatherers brings the food to more than 150 community programs serving our neighbors - mostly families and children - in need of food. The agencies receiving our food include St. Andrews Breakfast Program, Dawn Farm, Salvation Army, SOS Community Services and Hope Clinic.î As they say, the proof is in the pudding, or rather the pounds of pudding. In the first year of operation with one staff person, a borrowed vehicle, and an attic office, Food Gatherers transported about 2,400 pounds of food. Today Food Gatherers has a huge warehouse, several vehicles, and a corps of volunteers that transports more than 7 tons of food per day! Since 1988, the program has distributed more than 35 million pounds of food throughout Washtenaw County. Food Gatherers is able to recover and deliver a pound of food for less than the price of a postage stamp! Source: www.foodgatherers.org