Local Donation Campaigns See Strong Support

Numerous local campaigns aimed at raising donations to help local workers and organizations during the pandemic are seeing a robust community response, with hundreds of thousands of dollars being channeled to those in need.

The Groundwork Center's Local Food Relief Fund, which uses donations to buy fresh produce directly from local farmers and donate it to area food pantries, has raised more than $160,000 (including additonal donations given beyond the official campaign) since launching April 7. The campaign had an initial goal of $30,000 and quickly surpassed that several times over, with additional stretch goals added to collect more funding. The first deliveries of local vegetables to food pantries have already begun, according to the Groundwork Center.

The Traverse City Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has raised more than $36,000 of its $50,000 goal for its Buy Local Give Local Fund, which uses donations to buy products directly from downtown businesses and give them to area nonprofits in need. Items have included toys and art supplies for agencies serving children in need; coats, camping cookstoves, and portable chargers for those experiencing homelessness; and gift cards for healthcare workers and other first responders. DDA CEO Jean Derenzy says an estimated 80-90 downtown businesses have signed up to participate in the program, with funds being spread out to as many merchants as possible. "It provides help to the businesses and their products are getting out to people in need, so it's truly a win-win," she says.

The Good Bowl's Hospitality Relief Fund - a partnership between The Good Bowl, The Ticker/Northern Express, and the TC DDA - has raised more than $9,000, already exceeding its $7,500 initial goal. Donations are still being accepted online - as well as through the purchase of Good Bowl signature bowls and "We Will Carry On" totes - to assist hospitality workers with expenses including groceries and gas during the crisis. Funds are disbursed on a weekly basis.

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation has received over $423,000 in committed gifts for its Urgent Needs Fund and has distributed more than $211,00 in grants to help local nonprofit, governmental, and educational organizations. Grants are provided to organizations providing vital services such as access to food and basic hygiene, caring for senior citizens, supporting utility and rental assistance, and overall basic needs that are impacting and benefiting communities across Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau counties. A list of recipients to date is available here, and donations are still being accepted for the fund.

Two local t-shirt companies are helping raise donations for the community. Roth Shirt Co. is selling a special limited-edition version of its "Faith Over Fear" shirt, with $14 from each sale going into a downtown fund to help community members in need. Over $2,000 has been raised to date. Tee See Tee is selling a line of t-shirt and hoodies called "We Stand With Michigan," with $5 from each sale going to the University of Michigan's COVID-19 Philanthropic Fund. The company is also selling a Traverse City Forever line in which 90 percent of profits are donated to a local non-essential small business of the buyer's choosing (if a business is not designated, funds go to The Good Bowl's Hospitality Relief Fund). The company had raised nearly $4,000 as of last week, including $1,800 in sales from Traverse City Forever merch.

Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology has raised and distributed over $15,000 in emergency aid to individual artists in northwest Lower Michigan through its Crosshatch Artist Emergency Fund. The nonprofit is continuing to accept donations and will partner with the Dennos Museum Center this week to host two live virtual concerts as part of the museum's Live & Local Concert Series to benefit the fund. Levi Britton will perform on Wednesday at 5pm and Miriam Pico will perform on Friday at 5pm live on the Dennos Facebook page (the artists' Facebook pages will also host the concert streams). Series sponsor Chateau Chantal will donate 15 percent of online sales from April 25 to May 1 to support the fund.

Mammoth Distilling and Grand Traverse Distilling are among several distillers across the state who teamed up with Imperial Beverage to contribute $10,000 to the Michigan Hospitality Industry Employee Relief Fund. Donations are still being collected to award $500 to approved applicants who are in the restaurant and lodging industry in need of support during the pandemic.

Finally, several local organizations are working to provide protein to area food pantries during the crisis. Red Ginger, Burritt's Fresh Markets, and Superior Foods have formed Protein for the People, in which 20 percent of gift card purchases at Red Ginger and Burritt's will go toward the purchase of chicken and ground beef for those in need. Superior Foods will deliver the protein to Food Rescue for distribution to food pantries across northern Michigan. The partners delivered 200 pounds of ground beef and 180 pounds of chicken to Food Rescue last week, the group announced. Additionally, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy donated approximately 160 pounds of grass-fed beef from Misty Acres farm in northern Manistee County to Food Rescue's program. The Conservancy usually sells a portion of its beef at a discount every year to local food pantries, but wanted to support the community during the crisis by making the donation, according to GTRLC. The meat went to Lake Ann Food Pantry and Step Up Northern Michigan, Food Rescue said.