8 - Weekend, Etc. - Thursday, October 6, 1994

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LIFESAVERS

Tracing Food Gatherers in their drive to alleviate hunger

Above: Food Gatherers employee Amy
Small, the food run coordinator, works
at the office on Dhu Varren Road. The
fins step in getting food to the hungry
requires coordinating donors, recipients
and volunteers.

Far left: The surplus food that is moved
comes from a variety of sources. Jason
Evers, also a Food Gatherers employee,
picks up bread from Ed's Bread, an Ann
Arbor bakery. Although it is day-old
bread, it can be delivered and prepared
as part of a meal in time before going (
bad. This same principle applies to meat
and produce picked up from a variety of
stores around Washtenaw County.

Left: Occasionally, Food Gatherers is
notifed by local farmers that they have
a surplus of vegetables ready for
picking. Volunteers can then pick the
vegetables and deliver them fresh to
churches, shelters and other
organizations in need of food for meals.

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Volunteers Margot Michael (left) and
Chris Melcher unload a delivery of
breads and vegetables to the Salvation
Army in Ypsilanti. "Food runs" like
this one happen at least once a day and
are the main force of Food Gatherers'
efforts.

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On one side of town, a store is about to throw out surplus food that has been on
the shelves for a few days. Meanwhile, a local charity across town is searching for more
food to add to a free meal for the hungry. It is from this type of situation that Food Gath-
erers, the food rescue program serving Washtenaw County, was born.
Food Gatherers was founded by the owners of Zingerman's Delicatessen on
Thanksgiving in 1988 and has steadily grown in its ability to serve. With the help of
dozens of volunteers and several full-time employees, thousands of pounds of food have
been delivered. More than 50,000 pounds of food are delivered each month, and this
amoi1nt 'ontinij to r-nw

First Congregational Church
in Ypsilanti is one of the many
drop-off points for the
Monday food run. The bread
and vegetables brought by
Food Gatherers can be
combined with the food the
church has received directly
in donations to prepare the
weekly free dinner. Donna
enjoys her meal as First
Congregational pastor John
Rhode chats with others at the
dinner table.


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