2,000 food boxes filled with perishable food will be distributed starting this week from Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Clarkston and St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield

PONTIAC, Mich. (June 2, 2020) – Lighthouse, a Pontiac-based nonprofit dedicated to fighting homelessness and poverty, is expanding its COVID-19 emergency food distribution efforts across Oakland County to meet the urgent, increasing need for food caused by the global pandemic.

This week through the end of August, 2,000 food boxes filled with 20 pounds of perishable items, including fresh fruits and vegetables, will be distributed from St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield and Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Clarkston to up to 1,000 households per week from each location. (Please see additional distribution details below.)

“Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church is grateful to be partnering with Lighthouse for this worthwhile project,” said Mission & Outreach Development Pastor Bob Hegdal. “Food insecurity is something that has no borders or lines, touching people in every community and we want to be an asset for the region in helping address this basic human need. We are committed to helping impact this issue in our community, region and beyond.”

This effort will increase Lighthouse’s total food distribution to 3,400 households a week representing nearly 10,000 individuals. The fresh produce is part of the USDA’s Farmers to Families program and is being provided by a network of more than 1,000 growers to help keep the food supply chain intact and prevent fresh, perishable food from going to waste.

“The COVID-19 crisis has hit local families hard and no one knows when it will end,” said Lighthouse CEO Ryan Hertz. “We are truly thankful to our partners, donors and supporters, who are enabling us to dramatically increase the amount of food we’re distributing, and the emergency shelter we’re providing to some of the most vulnerable members of our community. The addition of these perishable food boxes will help local families tremendously.”

Lighthouse has also increased its emergency shelter outreach from 32 people per week to more than 75 individuals during COVID-19. Emergency shelter is being provided using local hotel rooms while the rotating shelter, which moves from congregation to congregation each week, is unable to operate. Recent reports indicate nearly 24-percent of the state’s workforce is unemployed as a result of the economic fallout from COVID-19. That’s putting a tremendous strain on the budgets of local families who need additional support to put food on the table each week.

Families and individuals in need can call (248) 920-6000 and press the number 2 to sign up for the Wednesday or Thursday food distribution, or simply show up between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Distribution sites for perishable food boxes are as follows:

Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting June 3, 2020

Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church

6805 Bluegrass Drive

Clarkston

Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting June 4, 2020

St. David’s Episcopal Church

16200 W. 12 Mile Road

Southfield

In addition, Lighthouse continues to lead a massive food distribution operation in partnership with Oakland University and 72 congregations and organizations including Oakland Schools and the Pontiac Community Foundation.

To request food delivery assistance or to volunteer, visit mycovidresponse.org or call Lighthouse at (248) 920-6000 (press the number 2).

For those who can safely leave their homes to pick up food, Lighthouse continues to distribute food, household items, and other basics from the following sites:

• Lighthouse in Pontiac: 46156 Woodward Ave.

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Lighthouse in Clarkston: 5850 Dixie Hwy.

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Lighthouse St. David’s Food Pantry: 16200 W. 12 Mile, Southfield

Monday- Friday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

3 WAYS TO HELP RIGHT NOW:

DONATE:

An online fundraising campaign continues to raise the funds needed to fuel the emergency response for as long as the COVID-19 crisis continues. Donations can be made via HandUp by clicking this link or visiting www.lighthousemi.org/Covid-19.

DROP OFF FOOD DONATIONS:

Lighthouse in Pontiac, 46156 Woodward Ave. (DOOR B)

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00p.m.

Lighthouse in Clarkston, 5850 Dixie Highway

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

VOLUNTEER:

• Volunteers are needed to help pack food boxes.
• Volunteer Drivers are needed to deliver food boxes to up to five households at a time.
• To protect all involved, Lighthouse and Oakland University have implemented strict volunteering rules, guidelines, and procedures.
• Register to volunteer and learn more here.