DETROIT – Higher Hopes! is celebrating its 12th year of feeding 1,000 Detroit families facing food insecurities at Thanksgiving.
The 501 (C) (3) charity organization will distribute 1,000 full Thanksgiving meal kits on Monday, Nov. 24, to families from Detroit Head Start programs and Brilliant Detroit. Each generous meal kit contains all the ingredients needed to make a full Thanksgiving feast: turkey, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, Jiffy corn bread, cranberry glazed sweet potatoes, dessert, and pop.
In addition, each family will receive a $50 gas card, high-efficiency light bulbs thanks to a generous donation from SEEL, and Michigan Humane will be on hand to distribute pet food to all pet owners. A donation match campaign, courtesy of Applebaum Family Philanthropy, Michele & Mitchell Bleznak, and Todd Denenberg & Renee Connelly, is being held in the run-up to Thanksgiving to fund this and other events that benefit families in need. Volunteers are always needed to pack up the non-perishable items on Monday, Nov. 17 and help distribute kits to the families on Monday, Nov. 24.
“Higher Hopes! Heroes invest time and money to provide households with access to sufficient, nutritious food,” said Higher Hopes! founder Bill Birndorf. “This includes our newest endeavor, which started at the beginning of 2024, in which we send nonperishable nutritious foods home with kids so they eat well over the weekend. We’re able to accomplish all of our programs through collaborations, efficient operations, education, and innovative solutions to battle hunger in the metro Detroit area.
“The faces of hunger may surprise you,” he added. “Many who need assistance are middle-class families, the working poor, children, and the elderly. No one should suffer from a lack of access to quality and nutritious food. Giving families the ability to celebrate the holidays with loved ones in their own home is at the core of the Higher Hopes! mission.”
Approximately 1.4 million people struggle with hunger and food insecurities in the state of Michigan, with approximately 400,000 of those people being children. Hungry families are forced to make difficult choices each month, between paying for food and paying for transportation, medical care, housing, and utilities. With its expansive growth over the years, Higher Hopes! has distributed over 2 million pounds of food and hopes to increase that number in 2026.
Higher Hopes! mission statement is To inspire independence, relieve food anxiety, and encourage family meals together by providing a bounty of food in nutritious, multiple-meal food kids throughout the year. Higher Hopes!, a registered 501 (c)(3) charity, continues to fight the battle against hunger for the community’s most vulnerable children and their families.
Corporate and individual contributions are always welcome and can be made at www.higherhopesdetroit.org or at the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/higherhopesdetroit. For more information about Higher Hopes! call (248) 360-9300, email [email protected], or visit www.higherhopesdetroit.org. https://youtu.be/WykBChdrcLI
