The Detroit Food Pantry has built a new drive-thru
Detroit Food Pantry adds drive-thru lot to help community
A new drive-thru food pantry on Detroit’s west side near Hartford Memorial Baptist Church is a game changer for those in need.
Detroit (Fox 2) – A new drive-thru food pantry on Detroit’s west side near Hartford Memorial Baptist Church is a game changer for those in need.
“Food insecurity is real, we serve people from all walks of life,” said Jimmy Johnson of the Hartford Memorial Food Pantry.
People like Richard Passmore and his family.
“It’s an extra helping on our grocery list every week,” she said.
And when churches provide this much-needed food, they prefer to do so without creating traffic jams.
“We don’t like cars on Seven Mile, Seven Mile is busy — so we now have a nice parking lot where cars can come and people can park, and we have security there,” Johnson said. “And they can come right in.”
On Tuesday, the church blessed and dedicated the freshly-grown food pantry parking lot — called the ‘Lot to Nutrition’ — and it’s all made possible thanks to a $100,000 grant from Forgotten Harvest.
“We were incredibly blessed to receive a gift from Mackenzie Scott and we knew the best way to use this money was to extend it to our pantry partners,” said Kelly Kashimer, Director of Volunteer and Client Services, Forgotten Harvest Johnson.
Now cars can park in this lot until it’s time to drive to get their food and they never have to leave their vehicles and can maintain their privacy.
“We wanted to be user-friendly. We believe in charity with dignity. So often you get help and charity, but to do that you have to surrender your dignity,” said Reverend Charles Christian Adams, senior pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church.
As food prices rise. This drive-thru food pantry has grown in demand.
“Once a week every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., usually 135 cars go by. It’s people in the community who walk in, so we usually serve about 300 food baskets a week,” Johnson said.
Those who rely on the food pantry call the donation a blessing.
“Forgotten harvest is a blessing. Some people don’t have grocery lists, some people don’t have food,” Passmore said.
But this church wants people to know that they are here for the community and will do everything they can to make sure no one goes hungry.
“There is no shame in asking for and receiving help. Everyone needs it,” Reverend Adams said.
