Detroit’s annually celebrated Orange Friday just got a bit sweeter with the help of local entrepreneurs giving above and beyond this holiday season.
Local Detroit entrepreneurs Chef Max Hardy, of the nonprofit 86 Hunger, Each One Help One, Tiffany Lean on Me, Fenkell Gospel Temple, Hon. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, M.Ed., and Team Wellness are joining forces to provide meals to Detroit families in need this Friday, November 26 during Orange Friday. The community give back event will supply multiple areas with a combined 1,000 heartwarming meals and support Detroiters who cannot access the food they need to survive this holiday season.
“Orange Friday is a tradition I brought to Detroit from my time collaborating with the Food Bank For New York City,” said Chef Max of COOP Detroit and JEDs Detroit. “This initiative was created as an alternative to Black Friday to provide volunteer opportunities to Detroiters who want to give back this holiday season, but more importantly, we have to highlight hunger awareness and the increasing need for food pantries in our community.
This year, Detroit’s Orange Friday will include multiple stops, including Team Wellness East, 3646 Mt. Elliot, Detroit, MI 48207 at 11 a.m., and Rosa Parks Transit Center on 360 Michigan Ave. Detroit, Michigan 48226 at 2 p.m., to name a few.
“I am extremely proud to work alongside a team that chose people over consumerism this season. Orange is the color of hunger awareness; through our efforts, I want to one day eradicate food insecurity. Despite the hardships of COVID-19, we are blessed to have a community that can come together to support one another,” said Chef Max.
This year’s event will be anchored by the Royal Bird Food Truck; the delicious menu will be prepared in individual boxes, including fish and grits and bottled water. The meals will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. The event is walk-up only, and the team of volunteers requests that all families and individuals wear a mask and stand 6 feet apart to follow all local COVID-19 restrictions.
About Chef Max Hardy
Chef Max is a Detroit native and owner of COOP Detroit and JEDs Detroit. He competed and finished as a runner-up for The Food Network’s Chopped. As a professional/celebrity personal chef, Chef Max’s clientele included award-winning music artists, actors, professional athletes, and dignitaries, including TI, Will Smith, Matt Kemp, Rohan Marley, John Legend, and the Prince of Dubai.
In 2017 Chef Maxcel Hardy founded“One Chef Can 86 Hunger,” a 501 (c )3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring awareness and end hunger in urban areas. The term “86” is used in the restaurant world to mean “the end,” to an item no longer available, or the last dining ticket. Chef Max believes the culinary industry has a responsibility to end the hunger crisis in our urban centers because they (chefs) understand nutrition, eating right, and living a healthy lifestyle. One Chef Can 86 Hunger works to support programs that promote healthy eating, prevent childhood obesity, and advocate on issues related to food justice and inequalities toward access to quality foods in urban areas.
Fenkell Gospel Temple COGIC is a church located in Detroit.
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