The city of Southfield, in partnership with Forgotten Harvest and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force will host a food drive in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Friday, January 12 from 9-11 a.m. in the Southfield Parks & Recreation circle drive, located at 26000 Evergreen Road

Families in need can pull up in their vehicle to the Southfield Parks and Recreation Circular Drive starting at 8:30 a.m. Families requesting food assistance will be required to sign in to receive a free food box. The Task force will have food available for 150 families and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Forgotten Harvest worked with the MLK Task Force last year and has graciously agreed to provide food boxes to help the families in our community, our veterans and our senior citizens for the second consecutive year,” stated to Ida Cunningham, the Chair of the Food Drive this year. “As a result of higher food prices, these are times of continued food insecurity for some of our residents.”

“We will 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,” stated Faria Glenn, President of the MLK Task Force.

This is the third year consecutive year that the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force has sponsored the food drive in partnership with Forgotten Harvest. Last year, the Task Force provided food to over 180 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.

For more information about the food drive, contact Ida Cunningham, Food Drive Chair at cunningida@aol.com or (313) 443-8018.