OAK PARK — Forgotten Harvest, the nation’s largest and most efficient food rescue organization, reached a record-breaking completion of its annual Million Meal Challenge to feed children who are dependent on school nutrition programs for their daily meals. By the time it completes operations, the 2013 Million Meal Challenge will have distributed 148,000 lunches and snacks to children in metro Detroit.
The lunches and snacks, which are distributed to partner agencies and facilities where children congregate during summer months such as libraries, gyms, youth clubs, recreation centers, churches, and more, supplement the additional 900,000 pounds of additional food that Forgotten Harvest distributes to families in need during summer months through its mobile pantry program.
“Thanks to the generosity of partners like PNC Bank, the General Motors Foundation and Chrysler, we were able to increase our lunch and snack program by 50 percent over 2012,” said Forgotten Harvest President & CEO Susan Goodell. “These are children who are completely dependent on school nutrition programs, and when school is out they simply don’t have enough to eat. The Million Meal Challenge allows us to work with our partners to go to where these children are and get them the food they need. There’s still a lot more to be done, but we’re making progress.”
Learn more about Forgotten Harvest and how to help drive hunger from our community at forgottenharvest.org.
