Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for the many blessings we have in our lives. It’s also a holiday known for extravagant feasts shared by family and friends.
But for families living in urban food deserts without the means to gather healthful food, Thanksgiving can be a difficult time. To aid this effort, Y staff donated 23 baskets filled with fresh produce from local farms and other staples to 23 families in Detroit.
Baskets included eggs, squash, a large variety of greens and herbs, potatoes, garlic, hot peppers and more from local farms including Food Field, Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, Pingree Farms and Keep Growing Detroit. Also included were pantry items like salt and pepper, oil, flour, baking tins, tin foil, potato peelers, and, of course, a turkey.
Many people get Thanksgiving baskets filled with canned goods, but we want to feed our families healthy, whole foods with the items and recipes needed to make that happen,” said Lisa Senac, Senior Director of Education and Life Skills at the Y, who helped organize this donation. “We also want to give our local farmers exposure, as there are so many economic and health benefits to buying local.”
The families were provided with information on where they can continue to receive fresh produce in their area at low cost.
Volunteers from Rock Connections, FoodCorps and the Y – including YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit CEO Scott Landry and his wife, Marlene – helped assemble baskets, while Zipcar assisted in delivering the food to families.