Community Leaders Gather for Shopper's Choice Food Depot Dinner

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Detroit (SVdPD) hosted a Community Leaders Dinner on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at their Central Office in Detroit. The event brought together community leaders and stakeholders for an evening of connection, collaboration, and shared vision around addressing food insecurity in Detroit neighborhoods.

A key highlight of the evening was the official launch announcement of the Shopper's Choice Food Depot, a new initiative designed to better serve residents experiencing food insecurity. The innovative food depot will transform how neighbors in need access nutritious food options with dignity and choice.

"The Shopper's Choice Food Depot represents our ongoing commitment to addressing food insecurity with compassion and respect," said Mary Lynn Faunda Donovan, CEO at SVdPD. "By creating a more dignified shopping experience, we're not just providing food – we're fostering connections and restoring hope."

During the two-hour gathering, attendees enjoyed dinner and participated in a facilitated exchange of ideas focused on SVdPD's approach to addressing food insecurity through meaningful personal relationships. The discussions aligned with the organization's core pillars of friendship, spirituality, and service.

The event exemplified SVdPD's mission of "neighbors helping neighbors" and its commitment to preventing homelessness, fighting hunger, and changing lives. Leaders from various community organizations shared insights on collaborative approaches to addressing systemic poverty through personalized support.

This initiative joins SVdPD's comprehensive range of programs that provide support from utility and housing assistance to education and mentorship. Through the new Shopper's Choice Food Depot, the organization furthers its 140-year legacy of serving neighbors across Metro Detroit with dignity and compassion.

Community members interested in supporting this initiative or learning more about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Detroit can visit svdpdetroit.org or contact Gabby Hornak at ghornak@svdpdetroit.org.

About the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Detroit
For 140  years, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Detroit has been preventing homelessness, fighting hunger, and changing lives. Through meaningful personal relationships, SVdPD provides whatever is needed to help neighbors get back on their feet and on a path toward self-sustainability.