produce rescue mission

One of Variety-Detroit’s most important programs is its Produce Rescue Mission.  The idea for this exciting program came from past President Rob T. Allen.   Rob worked with Mickey Weiss several years ago and was inspired by a similar program that Mr. Weiss created in the Los Angeles area.  The program is based on the fact that some of the vast amount of produce that arrives every day at the Detroit Terminal never gets sold.  There was no program in place to rescue the produce that would otherwise be thrown out and to create a system for procuring and quickly moving the low cost or donated produce to the needy.

Matt Prentice (owner) and Jim Barnett (Corporate Chef) of Unique Restaurant Corporation were instrumental in getting the program operational.   A $50,000 grant from Variety and proceeds from the Share Our Strength fund-raiser provided the seed money to launch this program.  Operational costs are shared by three hunger-relief partners:  Gleaners Community Food Bank, Forgotten Harvest and the Oakland County Food Bank.  Each terminal operator at the Detroit Union Produce terminal has agreed to be part of the program.  The produce wholesalers have jumped on the bandwagon too.  They have even volunteered to drive the fresh produce to the nearby Gleaners.  Gleaners then distributes these goods across the five county metro areas through relief agencies, soup kitchens, shelters and outreach centers.

“Many needy people don’t get any fresh vegetables or fruit,” says Jim Barnett.  “Perishables are hard for agencies to handle and hard to get to people, so what we are hoping to do through this program is close the loop.”

Variety’s goal for this program has been to provide healthy, nutritional food to children who otherwise might go to bed hungry.