06/21/2026
In high school, my siblings/ cousins & I used to deliver food boxes with our church Youth Group through Focus: HOPE in Ferndale. We’d load our cars with the food boxes, drive on over to Barton Towers in Royal Oak & then load up the stair well to hand deliver them, door to door to the senior residents (because they only had 2 elevators - one was for floors 9-15 & the other was saved for resident use).
Serving these seniors through Focus: HOPE taught me that helping those less fortunate is one of the most practical ways we can love our neighbor. It taught me lessons in teamwork, cooperation, compassion & empathy.
Now as an adult, I recognize that experience became the inspiration behind incorporating a food drive into every open house I host. People are already gathering, so asking them to bring a few pantry items turns an ordinary real estate event into another way to support the community.
Makowski Community Meals ❤️
St Mary Catholic Church in Downtown Royal Oak
