To our online family, friends, viewers, and supporters welcome to the FDDR newsletter #12.

In this newsletter, we aim to bring you some news and tips on how you can help our extended family on the streets and show the world that great things happen when we come together. 

Thank you very much to all that helped and/or donated. The lives from many get changed for the better thanks to your help and we can not do it without your continuous support.

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The pandemic numbers are still going up and up and at the same time small businesses are hurting, the number of unemployed Americans and food insecure families soar!

Every day we see more and more hungry people on the streets in need of a meal. We serve between 130-150 meals (lately even higher) a day and we run out of food to hand out almost EVERY DAY. That is why we need your donations, support and active help more then ever.

If you can help in any way now is the time to come together and step up to help. Remember everything FDDR does is by volunteers and your Donations. 

100% of your donations go towards the ones in need! Nobody at FDDR gets paid!

If you live close and are able to make an add-on meal any day please let us know and we can arrange to get it to those that need it. Any number will do 10, 20 or more!

You can make whatever meal that works for you like 2 sandwiches, mac & cheese, sloppy Joes, hot dogs, pasta dinner spaghetti/ mostaciolli, etc. We can help you with packaging or ingredients from our small pantry if needed. Remember it means that a more people will not go to sleep hungry!

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For all the new subscribers and viewers FDDR Feeding Detroit is a Private Non-Profit 501(c)3 organization that provides everyday meals, clothing, and more at no cost to our less fortunate in the community and it is sustained by committed and compassionate volunteers as well as generous contributions of donors. We do not receive any funding from the county, state, or federal governments. We are 100% funded by Your donations. FDDR keeps helping and serving even in these challenging times. Yes, we are making sure our staff is safe and healthy during this challenging time. Any gift to this campaign will allow us to continue to serve the homeless and hungry. We are committed absolutely to keep serving those who turn to us for help, in this time of need.

Our mission is simple: to feed and help people in need on the streets of greater Detroit regardless of their circumstances.

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Moderator Corner

Welcome to the POD from the MOD!

Here we will discuss all things having to do with the FDDR video feed.  We encourage you to submit any questions you may have.

Hello beautiful FDDR family!

Being a moderator and what we do.....

Our main purpose of being a Moderator is to welcome everyone in, answer any questions that you may have and say hello to as many people we can.  I feel a simple hello how are you? could change someone's day.

We also share links to show you all the amazing ways you could help FDDR and watch the feed to make sure that the comments are staying positive and we LOVE seeing positive comments. We do our best to listen to who is riding on Ziggy for the day or our extended family on the streets when they ask for something we may not have on Ziggy. That way we can relay that message back to Mat & Rose as a little reminder.

We appreciate the help our amazing viewers give us also. We just ask you let the moderator of the day share our website. We thank you for letting us know what someone was asking for. We appreciate our amazing viewers for always helping us. Some days are harder when being a moderator when I'm chasing kids around or they need something so sometimes I do miss things . But I do go back and watch the replay also.

Some people ask .. Is being a moderator easy? Some days are and some days it's a little rough. The rough days usually happens when we get trolls and they try to take away the focus from what we are out here doing. We try to explain to them what we are doing and if they continue to cause trouble we will remove their comments.

Being a mod is an amazing job. I have met a lot of amazing people and have made amazing friends!

We love asking our viewers to share our lives and the posts we share on our page. It helps a lot when you share them with your family and friends, you never know who would see it and is able to help.

Even if someone seeing what we are doing would inspire them to help where they live.

There are homeless and hungry people all over the world . Seeing the number of viewers climb, that tells us people are seeing and learning about what we are doing. The way I found FDDR was from someone sharing the live. I started watching and couldn't stop. 

I also watch FDDR with my kids. Donald especially, he is 6 years old, loves watching. Its never to late to teach your kids that doing something for someone else could mean the world to someone and to show them that not everyone has the ability to live the way we do. It also helps them appreciate the little things we have.

Thank you everyone for all your love and support we appreciate you and couldn't do this without you. 

Love your Moderator Lizz ♥️

Letters from our viewers

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Tuesday 7/28/2020 was the day we were honored to have the whole Terrell Family with us on Ziggy-2 to serve the hungry.

As some might remember from last newsletter this is part of what they wrote to us:  

I've been following you for the last couple of years, we watch almost every day. Watching what you do has changed my family and how we view the homeless and it has encouraged us to make a difference in our area (west of Grand Rapids, Allendale Mi).

My kids came up with an idea to have a fundraiser to raise money to provide bottled water for you guys to pass out for 2 days, we want to buy 300 bottles and Koolaid packs, and we are hoping to be able to deliver a truck bed full of goodies to you guys later this summer.

I am so proud that my kids want to make a difference and it is because of you two and Ziggy!

Tomorrow is our day! We are selling pop and snacks at neighborhood garage sales. 

PS One more thing... the whole idea was my almost 13 year old sons idea. It bothers him that people don't always have fresh water to drink!

Wow not only did they bring FDDR a truckload of goodies to be handed out to the ones in need we were really surprised how involved the whole family was in serving on our trip that day.  A day to never forget.

They showed us the future will be bright with a family so humble and full of love for all.

Thank you so much for having us ride yesterday. We will definitely be back... Thank you for what you do and how it changed my family. 

Kristi and Justin Terrell and the kids Mason age 13, Maya age 10, Josie age 10, Easton age 7

And the next post really touched us:

It's only been 2 days since we passed out food, water, and clothes with the nonprofit www.FDDR.org in Detroit but Mason is hooked. He wants to come up with a way to raise money to buy the homeless tents because then they have a place to call home ❤❤ 

We are all excited to continue to support FDDR but Mason is listening to a calling from God, to help others. Please keep FDDR in your prayers that they receive more local support and for the people that count on them everyday.

The hearts you all have. Our viewers and team at FDDR is so grateful for you helping us help them. We appreciate you coming all this way on your day off to feed the community. Our viewers loved the children and we hope you all really enjoyed yourself and come back to see us real soon. We thank you again for being such a huge help! Much love and respect.

Does your family want to share an experience too? Please contact us at www.FDDR.org 

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Often we receive the questions

- How can we help FDDR?

- Where can I find help for me and my family?

Here are several websites/places where you will find help with food, housing, and much more. Most services are Michigan related but many are also available in other regions of the USA.

We also include how you can help and or support FDDR.

• For emergency food assistance, call 2-1-1. If you are unable to reach Michigan 2-1-1 by dialing directly, call the statewide toll-free number: 1-844-875-9211
• www.foodpantries.org and www.pantrynet.org are 2 countrywide websites to find a food pantry and or soup kitchens near you.
• www.homelessshelterdirectory.org The Homeless Shelter Directory provides Homeless Shelters and Homeless Service Organizations. This includes all resources necessary to help the needy.
• www.bridgemi.com/michigan-health-watch/ — Here is a list of Michigan statewide resources to help you and your loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Help FDDR to keep feeding the hungry!
  At this moment we see and help more hungry people, and being able to feed them is our number one priority!

• Cook/sponsor a meal: www.tinyurl.com/FDDRcook

• Make a monetary donation via check, gift-card, Cash.me/HelpFDDR or www.venmo.com/Help-FDDR to sponsor a meal or operating costs or use any Credit/Debit-card at www.FDDR.org or www.paypal.me/HelpFDDR

• Choose and order much-needed items from our ALL NEW Wishlist
  https://smile.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3JGX6DJNV8KVH

• We do NOT accept women's or kid's clothing, only men's. Make sure to check all clothing, if items need to be washed or cleaned we cannot accept them.

• Mailing/Drop-off: FDDR 2130 4th Street, Trenton, MI 48183
  We have many drop-off locations, message us HERE

• After a family or business gathering, party or such and there is food left? Do not let it go to waste, donate it to FDDR to help the homeless and hungry. Send a private message: HERE and we can set up a drop-off or pick up.

• LIKE and FOLLOW our page, Watch the VIDEOS www.tinyurl.com/FDDR-fb-LIVE

• Visit our store NOW on www.FDDR.org/online-store to donate towards Pizza/Fastfood-Day (1 pizza feeds 4 people), a meal, water or towards gas for ZIGGY,

• You even can buy FDDR swag to support FDDR at Get-FDDR-Swag

• Share content from FDDR’S timeline on your timeline. Every day, there is content posted on the FDDR timeline that you can share on your timeline to educate friends and family about FDDR. You will find information about the meals served, the plight of the hungry and homeless, and statistics regarding the hungry and homeless. Just pick the post you want to share and click on the share button. Use the area at the top to personalize your post with a message letting your family and friends know you are part of the FDDR family.

• It’s your birthday so consider having a fundraiser for FDDR. Facebook has an option for you to have a fundraiser for your favorite charity in lieu of gifts.  If you would like to take advantage of this option, look for the post from Facebook  (usually a few days before your birthday) that will have all of the details about starting your fundraiser. Make certain to use this time to educate your family and friends about FDDR and how they can help. Use this link to create a fundraiser www.facebook.com/fund/feedingDetroitanddownriver/

• Together we make it happen EVERY DAY, pay it forward.
  Thank you very much for your continuous support!