The nonprofit Focus: HOPE is looking for volunteers to deliver food to hundreds of seniors across metro Detroit on one Saturday later this month.
This year, the Detroit-based organization is expanding its annual holiday delivery efforts to include 100 more seniors, up from 1,400 the year before. On Dec. 21, volunteers will deliver holiday-themed food boxes to low-income seniors who are struggling to afford the basics in Oakland, Wayne, Macomb and Washtenaw counties.
“The seniors in our food program are making some extremely difficult decisions with their money every month,” said Rachel Sherman, manager of the volunteer department at Focus: HOPE. “They’re deciding between purchasing food or purchasing medication. They’re deciding between purchasing food or paying a phone bill or their electricity bill.”
The senior holiday delivery is expanding to 1,500 recipients this year because Focus: HOPE has additional federal money for its food program, Sherman said. It’s timely because the need for food assistance continues among seniors.
The senior holiday delivery is a part of Focus: HOPE’s Food for Seniors program, which provides monthly food boxes to more than 42,000 seniors in nine Michigan counties, from Wayne to Huron. Those packages typically include produce, grains, milk and cheese. The holiday distributions are geared toward the holidays, offering cake mix, frosting, cornbread and a frozen turkey, alongside fresh produce and shelf stable items. Recipients were randomly selected for the special deliveries from Focus: HOPE’s Food for Seniors program.
“It’s really nice to be able to give them this additional holiday box and use this money for that because it’s something that they want. It’s not something that they’re just needing to survive,” Sherman said.
Focus: HOPE is looking for about 150 more people to join the 500 volunteers needed to get the job done. Volunteers can make food deliveries, load cars or direct traffic on site. Deliveries run from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Dec. 21.
Interested volunteers must sign up by going to www.bit.ly/fHshD24. For questions, call Focus: HOPE at 313-494-4270 or email volunteer@focushope.edu. The deadline to register to volunteer is Dec. 17.