Volunteers deliver food, resources to Oakland County seniors on World Alzheimer's Day
More than 100 volunteers gathered at Rochester Christian University on Monday to distribute fresh food and Alzheimer's education resources to seniors across Oakland County in recognition of World Alzheimer's Day.
Students, community members and local organizations teamed up to deliver 1,350 food boxes to residents in Rochester, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills and Pontiac. Each box contained fresh produce, salmon, recipes and information focused on brain health and Alzheimer's awareness.
For many of the Rochester Christian University students participating, the annual service day is an opportunity to connect with the community while helping those in need.
"I've been a student here at Rochester since my freshman year. I'm a senior this year," said senior student Liliana Tassich. "I love Warrior Serve, and it's one of my favorite events every year. I love going out into the community and showing God's love to everyone here."
Sophomore Mary Griffin said serving others is what drew her to the event.
"It's a great way to get the community out and help others," Griffin said.
The food distribution effort was organized through a partnership between Planet Harvest, Thrive Global, Eli Lilly and Rochester Christian University. Organizers say the initiative combines nutrition and education, providing seniors with healthy food options while offering resources about Alzheimer's prevention and brain health.
"We really want to highlight the great health benefits for seniors 55 plus," said Madeline Holstein, senior manager of programs and business development for Planet Harvest. "There's QR codes on the boxes that have further education. There's recipes in the boxes, welcome letters. We have about 12 to 15 pounds of produce and then two salmon packets, and the recipes go along with what's in the box."
University leaders said they were eager to participate when the opportunity arose. The event was incorporated into RCU's Warrior Serve initiative, which encourages students to engage in community service projects.
"We were able to put this together in a relatively short amount of time. I think less than 40 days," said Jeff Tungate, vice president for development and alumni relations at Rochester Christian University. "This was a great opportunity for us to give back to a community that's been so good to us."
For some volunteers, the day was especially meaningful because of personal connections to Alzheimer's disease.
Sophomore Gigi Montaglia said her grandfather died from Alzheimer's, making the event particularly important to her.
"People don't realize it affects the patient, but it also affects the family," Montaglia said. "So just to be able to be a part of today, I know I'm not only impacting the community and the people themselves, but also the families surrounding them."
Organizers say the effort is about more than delivering food. They hope the initiative helps seniors feel supported while also raising awareness about a disease that affects millions of families.
By the end of the day, volunteers will have delivered thousands of pounds of fresh food and educational materials to senior households across Oakland County, bringing both practical assistance and personal connection to some of the community's most vulnerable residents.
