LIVONIA, MICH. – The parking lot at Madonna University is now a mobile distribution site for Forgotten Harvest. Every Tuesday from 9 a.m. until Noon, volunteers from Forgotten Harvest continue their mission to feed the hungry and prevent nutritious food waste. The coronavirus pandemic has plunged more families into food insecurity, and the mobile distribution sites help get much-needed food to hundreds of families each day.
Out of two tractor trailers, the volunteers load the trunks of hundreds of cars with food that has been rescued or donated from grocery stores, restaurants, markets and others. All of the volunteers are following CDC social distancing guidelines and the recipients of the food never leave their cars.
The partnership between the University and Forgotten Harvest was developed through Madonna’s Office of Student Affairs and Mission Integration. Vice President Connie Tingson-Gatuz discovered the non-profit’s need to distribute food to people in need during the coronavirus pandemic. She knew that the University’s parking lot was vacant, as all classes are being delivered online this semester and next, so it became a convenient mobile site.
“We are blessed to be able to offer a location for Forgotten Harvest to help others during this pandemic,” said Tingson-Gatuz. “This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission which serves as the foundation to the high-quality liberal arts education and career preparation that we offer. We also give students opportunities to develop a commitment to serving others within our core Felician Franciscan values of respect for the dignity of all people, and education for truth and service,” she explained.
About Madonna University
Liberal arts education, career preparation and service-learning have been the hallmarks
of a Madonna University education for more than 80 years. Conveniently located at
I-96 and Levan Road in Livonia, Madonna is Michigan's most affordable, Catholic, liberal
arts university. Veteran- and transfer-friendly, Madonna offers nearly 100 undergraduate
and 35 graduate programs in the colleges of arts and sciences, education and human
development, nursing and health, and the School of Business. Madonna boasts 22 men's
and women's athletic teams, 35+ student organizations, and state-of-the-art residence
halls. To learn more visit www.madonna.edu/.
About Forgotten Harvest
Since 1990, Forgotten Harvest has been fighting hunger and waste in the greater metro Detroit area. Daily, the
non-profit rescues food surpluses from grocery stores, markets, restaurants, caterers,
and more. All the food that is rescued, donated, or grown at the Forgotten Harvest
Farms, is delivered free-of-charge to metro Detroit families who are food-insecure
and struggle to cover the cost of basic life necessities. To learn more, visit www.forgottenharvest.org
