If you’re searching for the top food banks in Wayne County, Michigan, below we’ve featured 10 for your convenience.
1. Open Hands Food Pantry
Located at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Royal Oak, the Open Hands Food Pantry provides those struggling families residing in Wayne County with healthy and sustainable food to alleviate the stress of wondering where their next meal will come from. Each Saturday morning, families can collect food bags containing 3-4 days’ worth of non-perishable foods, as well as fresh meats and household toiletries. When possible, food bags also contain fresh vegetables and fruits.
Open Hands Food Pantry has multiple options for volunteering and donating funds to the pantry. If you’d like to donate food or other items, they ask that you follow the guidelines posted here. You can also contact them to find out more information.
2. Open Door Ministry
Open Door Ministry began in 2000 out of the home of John Drouillard and his wife. Since then, the need and reach of its food pantry has grown enough to move into a 2200 square foot warehouse in Canton, MI, where they provide nutritious food for Wayne County families suffering from food insecurity. Every Thursday, preregistered visitors can collect a food bag, receive 1:1 counselling, skills training, and apply for jobs in the area.
If you’d like to volunteer at the Open Door Ministry, you can do so by stopping by on Thursdays between 3pm-8pm. You can also donate food and other needed items during their open hours on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings, or during distribution hours on Thursdays. You can also donate money directly to the pantry via PayPal. If you have any other questions or want to know how to receive help, contact Open Door Ministry using the information found here.
3. Nourishing Gardens
Nourishing Gardens in Belleville has been providing emergency food assistance to families in Southeast Michigan since 2003. They offer food boxes, which contain 3-4 days’ worth of nonperishable food items, intended to help struggling families stretch the groceries they already have. Because Nourishing Gardens only provides emergency assistance, there is no set distribution day; those in need must call to register and make an appointment to collect their food box.
There are a lot of ways you can help support Nourishing Gardens and their mission to help alleviate hunger: you can volunteer to sort food, pack food boxes, or clean the pantry; you can donate needed food items like canned vegetables, soups, cereals, and dried items; or you can donate money directly to the pantry to help fund whatever they need to keep running. Contact them to find out more.
4. BE Church Food Pantry
Also in Belleville, the BE Church Food Pantry provides prepackaged food boxes to up to 150 families each Thursday evening. There is no income or residential restriction; if a family is struggling with food insecurity, they can collect a box containing shelf stable food items, as well as fresh and frozen items should they come available.
If you’d like to support the BE Church Food Pantry, you can do so by donating food, money, or your time as a volunteer. If you have any other questions, or want to help in other ways, contact them online.
5. Downriver Fish and Loaves
Downriver Fishes and Loaves is a market-style food pantry in Taylor first opened in 2008 by a collection of churches in the area. It now runs from a 12,000 square foot warehouse and serves low-income families in the surrounding areas. Visitors can choose from a wide range of items, such as canned and dried goods, fresh and frozen meats, dairy items, and fresh produce. To ensure every visitor gets to choose their groceries equally, access to the pantry is by appointment only.
Fish and Loaves is run entirely by volunteers, so your time is not only valuable but essential; you can read more about becoming a volunteer here. They also accept donations of both food items and funds; contact them to find out how to donate.
6. Brightmoor Connection Food Pantry
In Detroit, the Brightmoor Connection Food Pantry has been providing food assistance to those in need since 2008. They operate a ‘client choice’ pantry model, allowing those to feel control over their food choices and foster a sense of dignity in uncertain times. Three days a week, visitors can ‘shop’ the pantry once a month by appointment only and choose from a wide range of items beyond just the shelf stable items usually found in food pantry food bags.
Brightmoor Connection runs entirely on the generosity of others through donations and volunteering. You can donate money to the pantry via PayPal or sign up to volunteer by contacting them online.
7. Fed by Faith Food Pantry
On the second Thursday of each month, the Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brownstown provides emergency food assistance through its Fed by Faith Food Pantry. Those earning low incomes and living in Brownstown can come by before lunch or during dinnertime to collect food bags containing non-perishable food items intended to feed families in time of extreme need.
You can donate to the Fed by Faith pantry online. If you’d like to volunteer, donate food items, or have any other questions, contact them via the church’s main information page.
8. Redford Interfaith Relief
In Redford, the Redford Interfaith Relief coalition provides a supermarket-style food pantry by appointment only. Families and individuals in the Redford suffering from food insecurity can visit the pantry once a month to shop from shelves stocked with fresh produce, frozen proteins, canned foods, dried goods, and other pantry staples. Visitors can even get toiletries and cleaning supplies.
Volunteers are always welcome at Redford Interfaith Relief, as are donations of both food items and money. Contact them if you need more information or want to register for assistance.
9. Mother’s Pantry
In Inkster, the Mother’s Pantry run by Operation Refuge offers area residents with emergency food assistance twice a week. Their client choice model provides visitors with the freedom to choose their own foods in order to meet their household or dietary needs. Clients can choose from boxed and canned foods, dried breads, meats, dairy, and produce.
Volunteers are always welcome at Mother’s Pantry: you can sort and shelve the food or assist those who visit the pantry make their shopping choices. You can also support the pantry through monetary donations made on their website. If you’d like to donate food or have any other questions, contact them here.
10. St Mary Community Outreach Center
Since 2003, the Food Depot at the St. Mary Community Outreach Center in Wayne provides food assistance to Wayne residents suffering from food insecurity due to low income. Every other month, eligible residents can collect a food box of shelf-stable foods and fresh items available at the time. If necessary, clients can also pay $1 to visit the Open Closet for needed clothing items.
Volunteers and donations are always accepted at the Food Depot. Food or clothing items can be donated at the church during their open hours; cash or check donations should be made out to “St. Mary Community Outreach Center” and can be made in person or by mail. If you’d like to volunteer, contact the Outreach Center directly.
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