Mary Butler-Moores spoke to the club as the Community Engagement Coordinator for Forgotten Harvest.
Forgotten Harvest’s mission is to relieve hunger and prevent nutritious food waste in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties. It envisions communities that work together to end hunger and increase individual, neighborhood, economic, and environmental health.
The organization was formed in 1990 and now operates 50 refrigerated trucks out of a 77,000 square foot facility with 16 truck bays and has 200 emergency food providers that distribute the food to those in need. The service they provide is much needed as 40% of the food (78 billion pounds) in the U.S. is wasted annually and there is an estimated 38.3 million people experiencing food insecurity.
Ms. Butler-Moore fell in love with the organization’s work after volunteering at the Forgotten Harvest Farm in 2017 where she learned the “why” and “for whom” the work was being done. Volunteers at the warehouse, farm, and pantries are its lifeblood.
www.forgottenharvest.org