Photo Credit Michigan Chronicle
Arms straining under the weight of a bulging box of groceries, a grateful resident paused to say, “Thank you, guys. We all appreciate you very much,” to Deanna Stewart, CEO of Equity Alliance, as she showed where the community garden sits in the spring and summer.
Cars stretched for blocks through a westside neighborhood as volunteers bundled up against the chilly winds, carrying boxes overflowing with Honey Baked Ham, turkeys, fresh produce, and all the fixings for a Thanksgiving feast, turning the neighborhood into a bustling center of compassion. As a display of community solidarity, Hope in the City, in partnership with Equity Alliance, Ajalon Missionary Baptist Church, and Forgotten Harvest, created a drive-through Holiday Food Distribution providing over 300 families.
The Holiday Food Distribution, a lifeline for hundreds of residents, transformed grocery worries into a Happy Thanksgiving of hope and gratitude, ensuring no family would go without food this holiday season. Equity Alliance headquarters, where the distribution took place on Walton St., is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting equality and providing resources to underserved communities.
“What keeps me going is that our community loves us because we’re doing all kind of things here,” Stewart said.
“The response from the community is amazing. When we first came over here and started working on the community center, this community was dead. This was long before Joe Louis Greenway moved over here; we just came in and started working and opening it (Equity Alliance Hub) up to the community.”
Bishop Edgar L. Vann, Senior Pastor of Second Ebenezer Church, Dr. Jason Moseley, Pastor of Ajalon Missionary Baptist Church, and Adrian Lewis, President and CEO of Forgotten Harvest together, these leaders represented a united front in addressing one of the most pressing issues facing Detroit residents, food insecurity.
Photo Credit Michigan Chronicle
For many families in Detroit, the holidays can be a challenging time. Rising food costs and financial strains leave many struggling to put meals on the table. Events like the Holiday Food Distribution not only provide immediate relief but also provides support to those in need.
Elder Tabitha L. Goodner, Chief Operations Officer of Second Ebenezer Church, highlighted that the church has been doing the Hope in the City food distribution for ten years and has partnered with Equity Alliance for a year.
“We’ve been in partnership with Equity Alliance for a year. This is our (Second Ebenezer) church’s 10th year doing Hope in the City and we have already been doing the season of giving,” Goodner said.
“So we take, from the end of September all the way to December 31 with every effort is about giving.”
Forgotten Harvest, which rescues surplus food to fight hunger, provided the food to make the event successful. Meanwhile, Equity Alliance and Ajalon Missionary Baptist Church mobilized over many volunteers to ensure a smooth and welcoming experience for attendees.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to combat food insecurity in Detroit, where nearly 30% of households face difficulties accessing enough food. The Holiday Food Distribution seeks not only to provide meals but also to inspire hope and unity within the community.
Carton Ballard still lives in the community; after seeing a void in the neighborhood he grew up in, he purchased the building Equity Alliance is housed in.
“It feels good (to do food giveaway). That was my plan. I went away to the military for a while, but when I came back, it was in bad shape. So I got my grandparent’s house, and then I bought this building (Equity Alliance) in 2013,” Ballard said.
“So the plan was to get the building space, set out to buy as many of these lots as we could, because the plan is to build more houses to bring this area back to center.”