OAK PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — A $25 million grant from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is creating more essential programs for Oak Park's Forgotten Harvest.
Scott made the donation in December 2020.
Now, the organization, which addresses food insecurity and waste in metro Detroit, will be going into the next phase of its strategic planning, which addresses critical areas of community need, a release states.
Forgotten Harvest will be able to create a sustainable emergency food security network for metro Detroit, which includes establishing a flexible distribution model.
“We are honored, humbled, and deeply grateful to be selected from such a large group of nonprofits for this gift and see it as an independent endorsement at the highest level of our strategic vision, community impact and operational sustainability,” said Kirk Mayes, Chief Executive Officer. “The need in metro Detroit is great and unfortunately continues to grow. The money will allow us to look at large-scale opportunities to impact the food security network and create a sustainable & innovative model of food rescue.”
Forgotten Harvest is not the only metro Detroit charity organization to receive a massive donation from Scott. The YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit received a $10 million donation.
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