When we think of Thanksgiving, we mostly think of food; lots and lots of tasty homemade goodness piled high on our plates. We make jokes about wearing our stretchy pants and passing out after the meal for a long nap. Everyone makes sure to snap pictures of the feast to post with their Thanksgiving greetings on social media. Some people make a joke of it, “Don’t post a picture of your plate; we’re all eating the same thing, haha.” If only that were true, though.
In reality, not everyone has the luxury of feasting on Thanksgiving. In Hamtramck, a suburb of Detroit, 49% of the population live below the poverty line, meaning the community is hard hit by food insecurity; one in two don’t know if they will go to bed hungry every night. Many people have to rely on local food banks to put food on the table. Imani, a food bank recipient and single mother of three, said, "There is a lot of despair in Hamtramck! Everybody is struggling with something. Rent going up, food stamps going down, people losing their healthcare, we're all in survival mode right now."
Life for Relief and Development went to Hamtramck on November 21st to partner with Detroit Friendship House, a local food bank, to give hope and a happy Thanksgiving to many struggling in the community. We distributed the special Thanksgiving food packages to 180 recipients. The large food packages included all the Thanksgiving favorites: green beans, canned corn, canned yams, chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup, turkey gravy, turkey stuffing, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese, rice, pumpkin pie, and of course, turkeys. Hamtramck is a very diverse place, and we were able to accommodate the dietary requirements of our Muslim recipients by providing them with halal turkeys.
All the recipients, from families to single elderly people, expressed their sincere gratitude. Thanks to our generous donors, so much joy was spread through the community of Hamtramck. This holiday season and always, remember those less fortunate. Together, let's work to stop hunger; at home and from afar.
