Residents protest relocation of pop-up food pantry at Detroit’s New Center Plaza Apartments

DETROIT – For nearly three years now, Metro Food Rescue has been partnering with the Seward Sharing Table.

“Lunchtime comes around and it’s a great place to get something to eat, always. I don’t think they should take it away. It should be something that we already have,” a supporter said

The groups have been rescuing and redistributing food to the New Center area. But one of the most recent deliveries was stopped out of nowhere.

“When we came to deliver on Thursday, management was harassing them about moving the table,” Metro Food Rescue Executive Director, Chad Techner said.

Apparently, an agreement was made to have the location remain to distribute for the food so it doesn’t go to waste. That’s until a new management company came into play.

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“If he didn’t want this table here at this location, he should have told us,” volunteer M. Lewis Bass said.

“Most important thing I see are a lot of young women with children — they really need it,” resident Bobby Smith said.

The hope is that some type of common ground can be found. Many seniors, like Bobby Smith, are depending on food in a time where inflation has made healthy shopping extremely tough.

“Really, a lot tougher because everything went up. Everything is costing a lot more. This is right down the street. It’s so convenient,” Smith said.

Continental Management, the company that owns New Center Plaza says they’re not asking the sharing table to be totally removed, they just want it re-located across the street.

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Volunteers still insist the table shouldn’t be relocated at all.