Food insecurity in the United States has seemed like an insurmountable problem for so long, despite the amount of surplus food large companies throw away every year. In the US alone, 108 billion pounds of food are wasted every year, amounting to about 40% of the food in the country . The majority of this food is wasted by businesses, who can’t sell nearly as much food as they order. A good many organizations have stepped in to try and redistribute this surplus food, including Forgotten Harvest . Founded in 1990, the mission of Forgotten harvest is to rescue food surpluses and make them accessible to people with food insecurities.  Forgotten Harvest delivers food directly to families living in the greater Metro Detroit area who are facing food insecurities. Through this program, hundreds of families have been fed and are able to live without wondering where their next meal will come from. By Celeste Holmes

  Being a college student can be difficult. There are many stressful days and late nights in undergrad, which only seems to get worse as you near graduation. While being a student is stressful, being a student with children is even more taxing. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 22% of all undergraduate students are parents , about 1 in 5 students. Being a parent isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, and parents who are students often find themselves in need of additional support. The Detroit Parent Network , or DPN, is a nonprofit that seeks to provide that additional support to parents. This organization was founded in 2002 to assist low-income families in Detroit, primarily by creating a network of parents who become a shoulder to lean on. DPN works with children up to the third grade to increase literacy and enrich their education, as well as holding support groups for parents and grandparents raising their grandchildren. Due to COVID-19, DPN al...

  As a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting homeless or precariously housed students, we at the HIGH program feel it is a necessity to promote other non-profits with the aim of assisting the under privileged. Weekly, we will put a spotlight on organizations that are providing resources to those in need across the state.     Across the nation there are a good deal of crises that plague the lower class, and a multitude of organizations are scrambling to remedy these issues.     For instance, h ealthcare in the United States can be astronomically expensive for the uninsured. It can be difficult to even get a doctor to see you if you aren’t insured or if you don’t have good insurance. This is a problem that clinic directors from Michigan and Illinois recognized in 1996 when they came together to form the Free Clinics of the Great Lake Region (FCGLR).  The FCGLR was a seven state network of about 250 free clinics. Four years later in 2000, Michiga...

March is Women's History Month, which means it's a perfect time to discuss an issue faced by homeless women that often goes without consideration and many shy away from talking about due to stigma — menstruation and access to menstrual products while homeless. The 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report  published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that on a single night in January, 39% of the homeless population consisted of women. Fewer than 1% identified as transgender or gender-nonconforming, and a percentage of those individuals likely deal with menstruation as well. Though we think of menstruation of a strictly female issue, not all women menstruate and not everyone who menstruates identifies as a woman. All of the individuals reported this night ranged in age from under 18 to over 24; on average, a person who menstruates will do so from the ages of 12 to 51, making it safe to assume that a significant number of those reported homeless de...

Sometimes, we struggle to find ways to give back to our community — for example, we might not have extra money to contribute or time to volunteer. But what if you could give back by doing your shopping as usual, with no extra cost to you? Chances are, you've ordered from Amazon at some point in your life. With items ranging from books to groceries to clothing and everything in between, there's a reason that they're one of the biggest companies in the world. And if you're from here in Michigan, you've probably shopped at Kroger, too (that is, if you don't buy  all  your groceries there). The HIGH Program has partnered with two different company programs that help shoppers give back to their community just by shopping like normal — Amazon Smile and Kroger Community Rewards. Both programs only require a quick one-and-done setup, meaning that once you've registered to have part of your purchases benefit the HIGH Program, you won't need to remember to do...

Here at the HIGH Program, our office family is made up of a wonderful team of staff, interns, and volunteers. Each individual is a vital part of our operation, and we want to showcase those who have dedicated their time and efforts with the program! Today's feature is someone whose time at the program is coming to a close, but has made a lasting impact. Alecia Burke joined the HIGH Program in September 2018 as our YouTube Specialist, creating videos on homelessness and other relevant topics for our digital signage around Wayne State's campus. She shortly transitioned to our Communications Specialist, using her phenomenal research and writing skills to create scripts and help develop the Go HIGHer podcast, a podcast focused on tackling issues commonly faced by college students. On top of this, Alecia co-lead the #SarnaikChallenge , creating a campaign to help the HIGH Program raise $25,000 in donations.  Here's what Alecia had to say about her time here at the pro...

If you keep up with us on social media, chances are that you've seen at least one of our countdown posts this past week, leading up to today. Now, we here at the HIGH Program are so excited to announce the #SarnaikChallenge ! In 2017, Drs. Ashok P. and Sharada Sarnaik — both of whom are professors at Wayne State's School of Medicine and pediatricians at Children's Hospital — created the Sarnaik Endowment benefiting the HIGH Program to “support these individuals during the times of their greatest needs, helping them reach greater heights.” The husband and wife duo pledged to match each donation to the endowment dollar for dollar, up to $100,000. Now it's up to us! The #SarnaikChallenge seeks to raise $25,000 to match the most recent generous donation by the Sarnaiks. So, why donate to the Sarnaik Challenge? Since 2013, the HIGH Program has helped over 150 Wayne State University students who are homeless, precariously housed, or facing other significant finan...

This past week, a polar vortex slammed the Midwest with historic frigid temperatures with some places dropping as low as -61°F. While temperatures here in Detroit only reached a low of -37°F, the bitter cold still proved dangerous; in Michigan alone, four people were reported as having frozen to death during the cold snap. Though these conditions are considered dangerous for everyone, the homeless population is especially at risk for exposure to the elements. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless , homeless individuals are "at risk for a variety of conditions caused by exposure to the cold, including frostbite and hypothermia, both of which can be permanently damaging to one’s health and can sometimes be life-threatening.  Many of the chronic problems faced by the homeless people, including inadequate clothing, malnutrition, and underlying infection, further increase the risk of developing and dying from hypothermia.  In addition, many homeless people stru...

Winter in Michigan is certainly no laughing matter — between the tendency for unpredictable weather and the proximity to the Great Lakes, winters are frigid and brutal more often than not. That uncertainty, however, also means that some years are warmer than others (this year included). While this winter might seem unseasonably warm for most, it's another story for homeless or precariously housed individuals. According to the National Weather Service , even 40°F temperatures can feel below freezing with winds as low as 20 MPH. When you also take into account that temperatures drop significantly at night, that winds are intensified by tall buildings in urban areas (where many homeless individuals stay), and that these individuals often don't have access to weather-appropriate clothing, it's no surprise that the homeless population is one of the most at-risk when it comes to exposure-related conditions such as hypothermia and frostbite. For Wayne State student...

Why Should I Give to a Charity?  5 Reasons to Give to a Charity  When it comes to taking your hard earned money and just giving it away, it is not always an easy decision. Sure, giving to a charity sounds like a good deed to do… but then again, you worked really hard to just give that money away. So why should you take your hard earned money and just give it away to someone or something else? There are plenty of reasons donating to a charity is worth it, but here are the HIGH Program’s top 5 reasons to donate to a charity.  1. Even small donations have an impact   Donating can seem pointless when you do not have a lot to give. BUT, this should not detour you from donating. Every little amount will help that charity or nonprofit organization you chose to donate to. Sure, they may talk about big donations, but even 5 dollars can help someone who is in need of a little extra help at the moment. So remember, even if you can only give 5 dollars to that lo...