According to the United Way for Southeastern Michigan (UWSEM), 700,000 people in the region are food insecure – meaning they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
Hoping to fight this statistic and “Feed Families in Knead,” Panera Bread® has partnered with UWSEM’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program to host a non-perishable breakfast food drive Sept. 22-25.
All 43 metro Detroit Panera Bread locations will collect breakfast items, including cereal, oatmeal and granola bars. The donations will benefit more than 30 emergency food providers located throughout the region. Emergency food providers in the area report that requests for food have grown by 20 percent in the past year.
Each person to drop off an item will receive a coupon for a free Panera Bread bagel on their next visit.
Approximately 25 percent of Michigan households with children are threatened by hunger. These children will suffer developmentally, educationally, and financially from food insecurity, says the Food Research and Action Center.
United Way for Southeastern Michigan is Panera Bread’s Operation Dough-Nation® partner in metro Detroit. For all donations made to Panera’s Community Breadbox, located near the registers, Panera matches a portion back to UWSEM.
