Welcome to Local Heroes, our new series featuring Detroiters working during the COVID-19 pandemic to take care of one another. We hope you’ll check in to meet and support these men and women who are truly making a difference and restoring our faith in humanity.
Kimberly Buffington is feeding Detroit.
Through a partnership with Trader Joe’s, Kimberly’s not-for-profit Eden Gives, provides Detroit families with boxes of food and produce that would otherwise be thrown away.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Detroit and many people lost their jobs, the demand for boxed food relief skyrocketed. Within weeks, Eden Gives increased their weekly distribution from 400 to 1,400 boxes of food and the need is still growing.
To meet additional demand, Eden Gives recently partnered with Food Rescue US and World Central Kitchen to begin distributing 2,500 meals weekly to seniors and DPS students and their families.
Having distributed food boxes in Detroit for 15 years Kimberly is now turning her attention to creating a model for food security that the community can collectively create through hydroponic growing technology.
“Building a hydroponic farming system will support a robust food network to allow equal access for everyone in the community to produce. We are focused on making that a reality in Detroit.”
Click here to support and learn more about Eden Gives.
When events and catering business shuttered across the country, Colin John, Executive Chef at Continental Services kept his kitchen open.
As one of the largest food management companies in the Midwest, Continental Services was uniquely positioned during the COVID-19 crisis to produce 15,000 meals to an array of essential and hospital personnel across metro Detroit as well as health-compromised patients through a partnership with Henry Ford Health Center.
“I’m grateful to be able to support what our frontline workers are doing and have been doing every day.”
Click here to donate and support food distribution efforts across the region at Forgotten Harvest.
In an age of information overload, Rakisha Odom, a Community Outreach Manager at Brilliant Detroit helps residents access live-saving resources.
Her work has never been more important than it is today. Rakisha liaises with neighborhood leaders and organizations from around the city to make sure residents in Morningside are supported as they weather the storm of COVID-19.
In addition, Rakisha is working to engage the neighborhood in which she services, recognizing that the people receiving services also have an abundance of gifts and talents that can help transform their community.
“We’re building an important bridge that will not only provide supportive resources to those in need, but also strengthen the community as a whole.”
Click here to support Brilliant Detroit’s work in Morningside and beyond.