Auntie Na's Village - Pandemic Food Delivery Program

Auntie Na's Village is a community center based on the Westside of Detroit that is a pillar of support for families in need all year round. We provide free food, shelter, clothing, childcare, youth programs, and basic medical care for all those who come to us seeking aid. Between the Covid-19 Pandemic and the related economic shutdowns, our community is in crisis! We recieve phonecalls daily from families who are suffering from illness and food shortage, and many in our network are unable to leave their homes to get what they need - due to disability, lack of transportation, or risk of Covid-19 infection. To meet the needs of our community and keep our people safe and healthy, we created our Pandemic Food Box Delivery Program and have been running it for the last month!

We plan to continue to run our Food Box Delivery program for the duration of the Pandemic-related shutdowns. We are prioritizing our elders, those who are disabled and immune compromised, and families with small children. Those who sign up recieve a full week's worth of food delivered to their doorstep once per week. We need to raise $24,000 to allow us to run this program for 6 weeks and meet the needs of 700+ people throughout the city of Detroit.

Once the State of Michigan has reopened, and the risk of infection for our population is low, we will scale back the Food Box Delivery program and resume our regular once-per-week Food Box Distribution and daily Free Meals Program at Auntie Na's Village. In addition, we will be finishing construction on our Nutrition House - which will consist of a full commercial kitchen, community dining space, and food pantry. Our post-Pandemic Nutrition Programs will be run out of the Nutrition House once construction is completed. 

Step 1: Coordinate Food Box Delivery Program - We are currently serving 30+ boxes per day, 6 days a week, and coordinating 25 Volunteers to Pick up Food, Pack Food Boxes, and Deliver them.

Step 2: Collaborate with Food Banks, Food Pantries, and Distributors to get more quality, nutritious food at bulk prices or free if possible!

Step 3: Raise funds to cover the Pandemic Food Box Delivery Program and future Nutrition House Programs through a combination of grants, crowdfunding, and matching donations.

Step 4: Get the word out about all of Auntie Na's Village programs! Publicize the program to reach more people, get media attention, and bring in more donations and volunteers

Step 5: Re-evaluate the program after 1 month. Assess the state of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the scale of the program, and determine whether we need to bring in more funding/resources or whether to begin scaling back the Food Box Delivery Program or resume our regular Nutrition House Programs.

Auntie Na's Village has always been a pillar of support for those in need, especially those who slip through the cracks of traditional governmental and social service programs. We have provided for our community through multiple crises - including the Housing Crisis post-2008 Recession, the Detroit Bankruptcy crisis and resulting school and public services shutdowns, the Detroit Water Crisis when thousands of families were getting their water cut off, and through the daily crisis of individuals and families living in poverty. 

Detroit is currently a major hot spot for Covid-19 and the racial and economic disparities in our city and state are making the situation much worse. African Americans make up nearly 14 percent of the population in Michigan, yet they account for around 40 percent of the state’s 1,076 coronavirus  deaths  as of April 9. Many individuals and families are not able to access basic healthcare, hygiene and sanitation supplies, and food! These are basic human rights every day of the year, but they are especially important during this unprecedented global pandemic. Auntie Na's Village is one of the only organizations in the city of Detroit which is offering Free Food Box Delivery to the doorsteps of families in need. Please support us in our efforts, so that we can all make it through this challenging time and remain safe and healthy. Much love to all of our supporters, volunteers, and donors. We can't do it without you!

#MutualAid #Interdependence #CovidSurvival