Art Van Furniture reported that thanks to the efforts of generous Metro Detroiters, 50,000 people who are down on their luck will enjoy the gift of hearty holiday meals this season. With one in every four households in Michigan facing hunger, to minimize the problem during the holidays, Art Van Furniture joined forces with WXYZ-TV in a food drive called "Together We Can".
Three Art Van Furniture semi trucks filled with non-perishable food items, delivered over 50,000 pounds of food to Gleaners Community Food Bank where it will be sorted and delivered to the proper recipients. The food was collected at the 34 Art Van Furniture locations during the month-long "Together We Can" campaign, a 3-year partnership with Art Van Furniture and WXYZ-TV.
"This is a great example of power in numbers," said Art Van Furniture President, Gary Van Elslander. "We are so grateful to our guests and all others who brought food to our collection barrels, allowing us to feed so many people, topping last year's remarkable drive."
Last year, the joint effort collected 40,000 pounds of food that went to food pantries and soup kitchens throughout Metro Detroit. Every month, Gleaners feeds around 100,000 families in the community in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Monroe Counties.
"It really comes right as we are leading into the holiday season when we see need really spike," said Anne Schenk, a spokesperson for Gleaners. "When the community really comes together, it helps us help our hungry neighbors."
About Art Van Furniture: Art Van Furniture is Michigan's largest furniture retailer and America's largest independent furniture retailer. The company operates 34 stores in 33 communities throughout Michigan, a full service e-commerce website, plus five freestanding Art Van PureSleep bedding stores in Canton, Troy, Rochester Hills, Brighton, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1959, the company is family-owned and headquartered in Warren, Mich. Check out artvan.com for more information.