By Madeleine Graham
In one example of how the community is responding to the coronavirus crisis, and with bus routes suspended until May 4, a coordinated effort came together this week to distribute food free of charge to residents at Linden Lane Apartments in Flint Township.
Darryl Douglas, resident services facilitator at Linden Lane, said several groups collaborated in the effort, including the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, Forgotten Man Ministries of Grand Rapids, the Mass Transportation Authority (MTA), the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department and Undersheriff Chris Swanson. The Genesee County Community Action Resource Department (GCCARD donated commodities boxes.
Many residents of the 150-unit Linden Lane building are seniors who rely on buses or other MTA transit options for access to food and other needs.
“I’ve been working on it for three weeks with…the Food Bank,” Douglas said. “Everything was hung up with the [federal government’s] stimulus bill.” Once that went through, funds became available and Douglas and others involved were able to get food to the residents free of charge, he said.
Sheriff’s Department vehicles and a food truck deliver to Linden Lane Apartments in Flint Township (Photo by Madeleine Graham)
The Sheriff’s Department called each of the occupied units at Linden Lane to see who needed food.
When they arrived, twenty or so sheriffs deputies went floor to floor distributing the items, Douglas said. All the delivery people wore gloves and masks.
Food included chips, juice, and 108 gallons of milk. Other items included five-pound bags of potatoes, three- or five-pound bags of apples, chicken breasts, melons and grapefruit, Douglas said.
Perhaps the most precious commodity — toilet paper — was also brought in, he said.
“This all came together in 24 hours. It was amazing,” Douglas said.
Banner photo by Madeleine Graham.
EVM Staff Writer Madeleine Graham lives at Linden Lane Apartments and can be reached at madeleine4841@gmail.com.
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