Farmington Hills Executives Help Fill 900 Hunger Free Summer Backpacks at Gleaners

On June 14, executives from Inmart Group in Farmington Hills were among more than 45 CEOs, executives and business leaders from across southeast Michigan who helped fill 900 backpacks at Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan’s Detroit warehouse.

The event kicked off Gleaners’ 2012 Hunger Free Summer campaign. In the first week, the Hunger Free Summer campaign has raised over $220,000.

Campaign partners Charter One Foundation, Ford Motor Company Fund, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the Joshua (Jim) and Eunice Stone Foundation and Epoch Restaurant Group are matching donations dollar-for-dollar with the goal of providing 2 million more meals for hungry children this summer. Normally $1 provides three meals; during the Hunger Free Summer campaign – now through September 10 – $1 will provide six meals.

During the school year, more than 315,000 children in southeast Michigan receive free or reduced-fee meals in school. Now that school is out for the summer, these children are at risk of missing meals and going hungry. Studies show that school-aged children who experience severe hunger have higher levels of chronic illness, anxiety, depression and behavioral problems.

Sodexo North America President Michael Norris and Belfor CEO Sheldon Yellen joined Ilitch Holdings Treasurer David Agius and more than 30 other local, regional and national executives; rolling up their sleeves and creating an assembly line to stuff backpacks with nutritious food.

Oscar and Grammy award winner Luis Resto and his brother Mario Resto, performed I Wonder If Anybody Knows (About Me), publicly for the first time. The original song was composed by Mario Resto to help further awareness of the growing hunger problem in our nation.

Donations can be made at hungerfreesummer.org, by calling 866-GLEANER (453-2637), texting “HFS” to 8594 (a $10 donation will be automatically added to donor’s cell phone bill – message and data rates may apply), or by sending a check to Hunger Free Summer, P.O. Box 1380, Troy, MI 48099

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