Detroit Auto Company Donates $10K To Gleaners Food Bank

DETROIT — A Detroit auto service company recently raised and donated $10,000 to Gleaners Food Bank in Detroit to help fund meals for southeast Michigan families in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ziebart, a 60-year-old vehicle service company based in Metro Detroit, raised the money through 50/50 raffles, silent auctions and other fundraising events between October and December of 2020, the company said.

"At a time when so many of our neighbors are struggling, wondering where their next meals may come from, Gleaners is grateful for such generous donations like Ziebart’s, which have an immediate impact in our ability to meet such urgent need," said Stacy Averill, VP of Community Giving and PR with Gleaners.

Ziebart officials said that the Detroit-based team pledged to give back to the community in 2020, leading to its fundraising efforts.

"Supporting causes that are important to our employees is a big part of our corporate culture and every quarter, we choose a different charity or organization to support," Ziebart President and CEO Thomas Wolfe told Patch. "We knew we wanted to find an organization that was supporting the local families hit hardest by the pandemic. With children no longer being fed at school and parents losing their income, we chose Gleaners to partner with to support our neighbors."

For each dollar donated to Gleaners, $0.92 goes directly to food and programming. The food bank serves more than 150,00 households in the Detroit area each month.

Officials said the need in the Metro Detroit region has increased amid the pandemic.

"Prior to the pandemic, Gleaners distributed an average of 3.5-4 million pounds of food per month, and now we’re delivering an average of nearly 7 million pounds per month," Averill told Patch. "Hunger is reaching the tables of families, children, seniors and others who have never needed help before. Many didn’t know where to turn. We expanded and adapted our programs to reach more people where they are and with the food they want and need."

Since March, more than 22 million pounds of fresh produce have been donated to those in need and over 97,000 seniors, veterans and families have been impacted through the organization’s emergency response efforts, according to the non-profit.

Wolfe said giving back locally only made sense for Ziebart, as the community has always supported the company.

"With the unprecedented hardships that came in 2020, it was our responsibility to support the families around us," he said. "We wanted to do our part because it was the right thing to do. Banding together with other local organizations provides hope and raises spirits throughout the community."