Forgotten Harvest has need for donations, volunteers amid post-holiday lull

ROYAL OAK Mich. (FOX 2) - Hunger impacts more people than you think - and while during the holiday season food banks and pantries see a boost in volunteers and donations, those numbers can drop quickly afterwards.

"We have a very dedicated crew of volunteers," said Adrian Lewis, Forgotten Harvest CEO. "But just to put it into perspective, about 50 percent of our volunteers that signed up weren’t able to make it today for whatever reason."

Forgotten Harvest has been feeding the community and those in need for decades. CEO Adrian Lewis says the need is great, and his team makes it easy for people to sign up to help.

Olivia Sheppard said she decided to volunteer while on college winter break.

"I found out that it was super easy to sign up for, really accessible and pretty close to my house and, I don’t know, it seemed like an easy opportunity to get involved," she said.

A lot has to be sorted from station to station with boxes to be lifted and broken down at the large warehouse.

Olivia has done a bit of everything, she said - adding that she started volunteering back in December.

"At first in December, right after Christmas, I saw so many people volunteer," she said. "The volunteer room was completely full. I was like, this is really cool that everyone wants to be involved."

When she returned earlier this month, she noticed an unfortunate difference.

"I think I came back Jan. 2nd and there were significantly less people for sure," Olivia said.

Studies show that year-round giving not only replenishes resources on a more consistent basis, but it helps to build stronger, healthier, and more sustainable communities.

"The more the better," Lewis said. "If anyone would just go to our website you’ll see many opportunities to not only volunteer but to donate, or just be involved."

If you are looking to volunteer or your organization would like to get involved, go to the link HERE.