The city of Southfield, in partnership with Forgotten Harvest and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force, will host a food drive on Friday, January 13 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Southfield Municipal Campus, located at 26000 Evergreen Road in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Families in need can pull up in their vehicle to the Southfield Parks and Recreation circular drive during the event time and follow directions to receive a free food box. The Task force will have food available for the first 250 families.

“Dr. King said: ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ It is in this vein that the Task Force rises to the occasion to help the families in our community, our veterans and our senior citizens,” according to Ida Cunningham, the Chair of the Food Drive this year. “These are times of continued food insecurity as our communities continue to deal with the pandemic and now high prices for food and goods and services.”

“Our theme of ‘The Global Impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’ provides the backdrop for our event,” according to Faira Glenn, President of the Task Force. “We want to continue to provide the community with the assistance needed during these difficult times as we remember Dr. King and his commitment to dreaming of a world that recognized and believed in the humanity of all.”

This is the second year of the food drive. Last year the Task Force provided food to over 250 families in the Southeast Michigan area with the help of generous sponsors.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force, Inc. is an all-volunteer grassroots civic organization. Its mission and purpose is to celebrate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to accept the challenges to work to make real the promise of America as a land of freedom, equality, opportunity, and brotherhood, and to commit to plan observances to remind us of his philosophy of non-violent actions for creating positive social change. Southfield was the first city in the state of Michigan to hold a Dr. King peace walk or march. The first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Walk took place on January 20, 1986, commemorating the first national observance of Dr. King’s birthday. The walk continues to grow in size and scope each year, with year-long educational and community outreach activities.