“110,000 MEALS: The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor has been hosting a food drive since mid-March and has now collected enough food products and funds to provide 110,000 meals over the summer for children in Washtenaw County who rely on free or reduced-price school meals during the academic year. The donations will be given to Food Gatherers, a local food bank program working in partnership with the Rotary Club.

Food Gatherers believes these efforts are especially important given the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization said food insecurity rates are higher in the Ann Arbor area now than before the pandemic — Feeding America projected that overall food insecurity in Washtenaw County was 11.6% in 2021, compared to 10.8% in 2019. Food Gatherers has greatly expanded its community outreach over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. They now distribute over 20,000 meals a day to people in need.”