DETROIT —The 27th annual packing of holiday food baskets for needy families in the Eastern Market area will take place Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at Sacred Heart Church in its activities center located at 1000 Eliot Street at 9:30 a.m.

Last year, Detroit City Councilman James Tate (2nd from L), helped pack the food baskets. Pictured from left are NaTasha Jones of MFBA, Tate, Ed Deeb, founder of Friends of Eastern Market and MFBA and Jim Pellerito of Pellerito Foods.

Volunteers from the offices of the Mayor, City Council, City Clerk, local area merchants, Fraternal Order of Police. Michigan Food and Beverage Association, Imperial Photo Service, Bert’s Marketplace Jazz, Pepsi Beverages Company, Forgotten Harvest, and the Eastern Market area will be filling hundreds of baskets with turkeys, vegetables, fruits, nuts, soft drinks and bread which has been donated by merchants in the area.

“It is in the spirit of the holidays that the Eastern Market area provide food baskets for families living in the area with products our members pack and sell,” said Ed Deeb, chairman of the project, and founder of Friends of Eastern Market, co-founder of Eastern Market Corporation which represent more than 180 members located in the area, and Michigan Food and Beverage Association. 

“We have been doing this for 27 years with participating companies,”  Deeb said.  

Assisting with the food basket effort are Fr. Norman Thomas, Pastor of Sacred Heart church and his staff and employees of the Eastern Market companies. 

“We began this program 27 years ago and have worked hard to assure that nobody goes hungry over the Christmas holiday,” said Fr. Thomas who has been the pastor at the church for more than 40 years.