Make a Difference Day serves Owosso's Hungry

It was a cold, rainy Saturday in Owosso, Mich., but more than 1,000 families were in line at 9 a.m. waiting for the arrival of the Mid-Michigan Food Bank Mobile Food Pantry. Last August, Shiawassee County families were very disappointed to learn that the Mid-Michigan Food Bank did not have enough donated food to fill the Mobile Pantry and had to cancel its scheduled stop. This year's Make a Difference Day, however, was able to help hunger in Michigan with the assistance of local Michigan businesses.

Most of the people in line are happy to get enough food to help their family get through the week…but in honor of Make a Difference Day, children were also be surprised with clowns, face-painters, free pumpkins and Halloween costumes. Music, apple cider, coffee and doughnuts kept everyone cheery while in line. Free transportation to and from the site was provided by local church congregations and the Transportation Solutions Division of the Shiawassee Area Transportation Authority. Memorial Healthcare of Owosso is underwriting the Mobile Food Pantry with their donation of 1,000 dollars. The Mid-Michigan Food Bank along with Shiawassee Harvest Ministries delivered a truckload of frozen chicken to be handed out in addition to the usual produce and canned goods.

For the first time this year, the Health Delivery Mobile Dental Bus provided teeth cleaning services and fluoride treatment for children. Sue Osika, Service Center Manager of the Shiawassee Service Center of the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross has participated in 'Make a Difference Day' for the last six years. "The Red Cross is always trying to make a difference. We prepare, prevent and respond to all disasters. Today we are making a difference in so many lives," said Osika.

However, the number in need this year was even greater than anticipated. Each truck holds meals for about 400 families, which is the average number that the Mid-Michigan Food bank expects at these events. This year, more than 1,000 families came to the event, some even camping out the night before for the food they need. "This shows a dilemma for all food banks in the coming months: the increase in need," said Alison Bono, community relations coordinator for the Mid-Michigan Food bank. "We repackaged some of the parcels of food to make sure everyone got something, but everyone did not get as much as we had planned."

"I wish we could come together like this everyday and feed the growing number of hungry families in Michigan. These are unusually tough times in our history --- but these are the times when Americans gain strength and take care of one another," said Dave Karr, director of the Mid-Michigan Food Bank.

As a member of Feeding America, Mid-Michigan Food Bank provides the local infrastructure of warehouse space, trucks, safety standards, staff and volunteers required to provide high-quality food and personal care products to its member agencies and serve people in need. www.mid.michiganfoodbank.org. The Mid-Michigan Food Bank is a division of the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its congressional charter and the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross movement, provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. www.midmichiganredcross.org.

Article Source: http://articles411.com

As a member of Feeding America, Mid-Michigan Food Bank provides the local infrastructure of warehouse space, trucks, safety standards, staff and volunteers required to provide high-quality food and personal care products to those in need.

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