Groups Seek Help To Serve Needy
While thousands of people will be spending money on holiday shopping, others will be giving gifts and money to organizations trying to help those in need.
Dr. Subir Chowdhury who leads the Subir & Malini Chowdhury Foundation announced this week that they would match the next $7,500 in donations to the Volunteers of America Michigan Adopt-A-Family program. When matched, the gift will provide a Christmas for 100 families in need.
Over the past few years, the foundation has donated close to $20,000 to the Adopt-A-Family program.
The President and CEO of Volunteers of America Michigan, Alex Brodrick said the matching challenge "couldn't come at a better time."
"There are still thousands of families in need in our program," Brodrick said, noting that close to 10,000 families had applied for the organization's holiday assistance program since September and about 3,000 of those families have been "adopted" so far.
Volunteers of America Michigan is hoping to help at least 4,000 families.
Donors can give online or call the Adopt A Family office at 248-353-4862 to learn more about sponsoring a family for the holidays.
The Salvation Army is in the middle of its Red Kettle Campaign and hoping to raise money for gifts and operations. On Monday, WWJ Newsradio 950 will be holding "Red Kettle Day" encouraging everyone to put a donation in the red kettles throughout the area.
104.3 FM WOMC is collecting unwrapped toys for "Santa's Toy Castle" until 7 p.m. Saturday outside the Super Kmart on Fort Street in Southgate.
All toys collected will be distributed through The Salvation Army to children and families still in need for Christmas.
Monday is also the final 2010 Holiday Double Your Donation Day for Gleaners Community Food Bank. Any donation you make to Gleaners Monday will be doubled and feed twice as many people in southeast Michigan.
Executives say every $1 you donate will provide six meals to help feed the hungry.
"We know in the month of December we're going to be distributing well over four million pounds of food," said Gerry Brisson, Senior Vice President of Advancement at Gleaners. "That's up over a million pounds a month over last year for both November and December actually."
Brisson said there's alot of new families looking for emergency food help.
"We know we are going to be serving probably in the neighborhood of 100,000 new families this holiday season," he said. "That's alot of families coming for the first time asking for help."
Gleaners provides food to over 500 shelters, soup kitchens and pantries. Last year, they distributed 37 million pounds of food across southeast Michigan.
The matching funds are provided by PNC Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Gleaners Board of Directors, Gleaners Development Committee and other generous donors.
