The City of Traverse City Human Rights Commission is honoring Grand Traverse Industries and J&S Hamburg South Airport's Project Feed the Kids for its Business/Organization Humanitarian Efforts Award, which was established to honor and give public recognition to a business or organization that has demonstrated an ongoing and sustained commitment to helping others in the Traverse City region. 

The Human Rights Commission will celebrate the honorees on June in the 2nd Floor Training Room (located in the Governmental Center, 400 Boardman Ave) at 5:30 pm. Following that gathering, awards will be presented at the City Commission meeting at 7:00 pm.

Information about the honorees, as provided by the city: 

Grand Traverse Industries: GTI is celebrating its 50 years of service to this community. They provide services in Mancelona and Traverse City, all the counties from Northern Michigan and to the U.P. in some of the programs. They serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the deaf community. They ensure these individuals have a voice or an advocate and is an employer. This gives opportunities for these individuals, who many times the community may think cannot do things and they say “Yes They Can”. There are about 200 people on their payroll in various programs. These can be an independent placement in the community for a job or in one of the programs, or facilities where they work to make sure that regardless of the challenge, productivity, or disability they are facing, they can earn a paycheck if that is one of their desires. Take a creative approach and work hard to assure that reality and dignity to earn a paycheck.

People take for granted that we can go out and get a job and make a paycheck and do the things we love to do, but these individuals have that same desire and wish and dream to participate in this community. There are many accessibility challenges and assure them that they will work hard to get those opportunities. When it comes to servicing individuals who are deaf, they provide quality interrupting services, for example, when they are trying to get a job, to learn and train, receiving a diagnosis at a medical office, to receive good and happy news all the things in life and communication is clear.

Ensure that individuals have the opportunity to participate in the community. They provide the support, transportation, staffing to help them with opportunities. They create and run programs that prevent isolation. Community is very important, being around peers and friends and people that we relate to and connect with is an important piece to human life. They work to make sure that the opportunities to communicate and not be isolated at home. 

J&S Hamburg (South Airport) Project Feed the Kids: This is a non-profit established in 2020, food items are placed in bags and taken to numbers coolers in the surrounding areas. They goal was to show up for those in need. J&S owners and their volunteers packed meals, in their first week, they packed 81 meals. Within an hour, the meals were gone. The very next week, they packed 500 meals and those were gone within 2 and a half hours.

Currently for Project Feed the Kids, they pack 3,000 meals every single week. The mission is to help fight food insecurities in our communities. Currently, coolers are located in Kingsley, Kalkaska, and Buckley, one located across from Moomers, and one in front of the restaurant. The main focus is children. Coolers are 100% non-judgmental, they are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. People simply pull up and take whatever they need. The coolers stay open 24 hours to help the dignity of the parents. Programs have many qualifications to receive benefits. With Project Feed the Kids, there are no qualifications. If someone is hungry they take a meal. Coolers are located close to schools so that if kids want they can take meals home from school. These kids know where these coolers are.

Our meals are 100% donation-based. Currently, it costs about $2.50 to produce each meal. There are no employees, 100% volunteer-based. There are currently 50 volunteers who pack meals every week on Thursday at 9 am. Food is fundamental to everyone, especially children who are growing up. Food is brain fuel, children who are hungry are children who cannot learn, may make errors in school, or have behavioral problems. It’s hard enough to ask for help, providing access any time of the day or night, any day of the week, saves people from embarrassing situations. Food costs are at an all-time high, families are struggling. Providing assistance when they need help, maybe it's one day, maybe it's more.

Operations are rapidly expanding, and would love to put a cooler in every town, filling them all is difficult, and with the coolers, there is an obligation that there is food available to these families. Every weekend, there are about 2,000 lbs of food donated from Costco. Through the eyes of the people, the truth of the work is evident and genuine. Hunger hurts and it's physically, mentally, and emotionally painful. Although the main focus is feeding the children, the coolers are open to the homeless, veterans, and the elderly. It’s amazing, the program has fed nearly 350,000 people in less than 4 years. There is also an Adopt the Family Program for Christmas. Last year over 1,000 families were adopted for Christmas, helped over 4,000 kids, and provided not only presents, but also clothing, toiletries, dinners, gift cards, and toys. This program has brought our community together.