A WMU faculty member has been at the heart of efforts to simultaneously support local healthcare efforts and the Kalamazoo economy. Dr. Sally Hadden (History), together with Jodi Michaels (executive director of Colleagues International) and Adam Strong-Morse (local entrepreneur) have started a group called Feed the Fight Kalamazoo. It launched publicly and delivered its first meals this past Monday. As of today, FTFK has delivered over 700 meals to Bronson Health Center, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, Family Health Center, and is working to develop additional partnerships. The meals are funded by public donations so restaurants are financially compensated for their efforts. More information is at FTFKalamazoo.org.
Feed the Fight began in Washington D.C., but each city group is independent, so all money raised in Kalamazoo stays here. The process is as follows: the public donates to FTFK (tax deductible, 501(c)3), FTFK places an order with a restaurant to purchase the meals (the number matching the request we get from hospital or KDPS), and then the meals are delivered to the hospital or KDPS and distributed to workers. It’s effective, Dr. Hadden says, because “restaurants get income, people at home get to support both restaurants and frontline workers by sending them free meals while remaining socially distant, and frontline workers against Covid19 get support directly from the communities they serve and live in.” FTF Kalamazoo is a non-profit organization, run solely on a volunteer basis, and all funds go to purchase meals.
Strength in solidarity 