Web Extra: Forgotten Harvest CEO Kirk Mayes Talks Need For Volunteers

Southfield (CW50) - Forgotten Harvest is a food rescue organization that fights hunger and food insecurities in Michigan. They deliver over 100,000 pounds of food to local charities, 5 days a week.

Part of the process of rescuing this food is sorting, packaging, and distributing it out of their distribution center. Earlier this year, Forgotten Harvest opened up a second distribution center, in order to provide a large enough space for volunteers to distance themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kirk Mayes, CEO of Forgotten Harvest, joins Lisa Germani on this Community Connect Web Extra to talk about what volunteering looks like this year for Forgotten Harvest.

With the expansion of their organization and the greater need to provide food to families in 2020, Forgotten Harvest needs more volunteers than ever. One of the challenges that they face is the lack of corporations providing large amounts of volunteers to help out due to COVID-19. This has led to very limited groups of volunteers; they need more families and more individuals.

"People in Metro Detroit have been fantastic, since we've had to go back to a more one person at a time or one family at a time recruiting style," said Kirk Mayes, CEO of Forgotten Harvest, "... it's just more difficult to get [their attention]."

To volunteer for a shift at Forgotten Harvest, go to ForgottenHarvest.org/Volunteer

This year, Forgotten Harvest is teaming up with Kroger for the Hope for the Holidays event. During the week of December 17th, Forgotten Harvest will be giving out 2,000 meal kits to serve 6,000 families.

"Thank you everyone in the community for everything you've done for Forgotten Harvest," Mayes said, "It's because of your help and support that we've been able to translate that love back into the community."

Watch more of Kirk Mayes and Forgotten Harvest on Community Connect, Saturday December 12th at 7am on CW50