Forgotten Harvest rescues food for Detroit’s hungry

<p>“Forgotten Harvest is Southeast Michigan's food rescue organization,” Mayes says. “Our specialty is to find food from groceries, food manufacturers, agricultural outlets, anywhere we can find it that would've actually ended up going to waste because it doesn't meet the manufacturer's specs or doesn't meet the retail specs. Then we turn it around and give it to about 250 organizations in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County for free.”<br> <br> Mayes says two challenges to the mission during the pandemic are the food supply chain and the need for more volunteers.<br> <br> “Without the volunteers that we typically get, and it's about 16,000 a year that we usually get to help Forgotten Harvest complete the mission, we just can't get the volumes of food that we get in our hands out to people.”<br> <br> Mayes talks about Forgetten Harvest’s partnership with the city of Detroit and says his giving nature was instilled in him by his parents.<br> <br> “This is what my mom showed me my whole life through her example of giving back. Whether it's been through getting up every day and working through her local church community or being the matriarch of our family.<br> <br> “Serving people, doing things for the right reason. Trying to think ahead of the need so somebody doesn't necessarily have to ask for something that you can see that they need. Thinking about the emotional and mental journey that somebody's going through when they don't have enough, and making sure that you're not just there to provide for physical needs, but also that you're there as a human being, helping somebody through a part of their life. All of these things are the true values that my mother instilled into me that allowed me to be a strong servant. Some people look at me and think that I'm a leader, but I'm just really trying to help.”<br> <br> Mayes defines the serious and pervasive issue of food insecurity. And he explains why Forgotten Harvest is more of a food rescue organization than a food bank. <br> <br> “No disrespect to the food ba