Virtual Cereal Drive June 4 – 11

Because Now More than Ever, Kids Need Breakfast

For the past 11 years the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Professional Nurse Council at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) has partnered with Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan to lead a community effort to provide children with a consistent daily meal over summer recess.

Now more than ever, kids in Southeast Michigan need access to healthy breakfast options throughout the summer. Over the last eleven years, together, we have raised nearly 11 million servings of cereal.

Although we cannot get together and fill buses and trucks with cereal this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we can continue to help children eat this summer by donating to our Virtual Cereal Drive. “At the Children’s Hospital of Michigan we see firsthand the impact food insecurity has on children’s health. The hospital does not just treat sick or injured children; we work to keep the children and families in our community healthy, and your support is appreciated now more than ever,” said Kathy Donovan, MSN, NE-BC, Chief Executive Officer, DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

“Kids need healthy, wholesome food not just some of the time but all of the time, and especially in the summer when local children are at risk of hunger,” said Gerald Brisson, Gleaners president and CEO. “We are grateful to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan’s nurses and staff for the incredible efforts that go into the Annual Cereal Drive to support Gleaners and our hungry neighbors at this critical time of year.”

The 12th Annual Cereal Drive, and second Virtual Cereal Drive will kick off June 4 and runs through June 11. All virtual donations will go to Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan to support the community wherever the need is greatest this year.

Child Hunger In Our Community

• In Michigan, 1 out of 5 children struggle with hunger and more than 302,000 children are food insecure.
• More than 650,000 people in southeast Michigan will face hunger over the next year.
•  In southeast Michigan, nearly 310,000 children receive free or reduced-price meals in school. When school recesses for the summer, these children are vulnerable to undernourishment and hunger.
• Why cereal? Cereal is an important food item for our food distributions. Cereal is an expensive item for Gleaners to purchase for distribution, yet it is also one of the items in highest demand. Cereal is a food that needs no preparation, is easily stored, and is well-liked by children.
• In 2020, in response to the continued pandemic crisis, Gleaners increased food distribution by 65% through our COVID-19 response efforts.
• Gleaners distributed approximately 69 million pounds of food since March 2020.
• Every dollar donated provides three meals and 93 cents of every donated dollar goes to food and food programs.