In our last – but not least – community partner spotlight this week, we'd like to highlight one of our region's most beloved institutions: Eastern Market.

Eastern Market's mission is to nourish a healthier, wealthier, and happier Detroit. Through providing food security services, Eastern Market aims to improve access to nutritional foods and provide residents with information to prepare healthier meals.

Detroit Lions Charities has partnered with Eastern Market for 7 years, notably on food access and nutritional education sessions, for many years collaborating on Meet Up and Eat Up events at Tuesday markets. Current Detroit Lions Charities grants support Eastern Market food access programs that aim to increase food access points and provide Detroiters with fresh food at convenient locations in local neighborhoods.

Eastern Market aims to operate at least 20 Farm Stands at a variety of community sites to further improve access to food throughout Detroit in 2021. In addition to the Farm Stand program, Eastern Market runs Detroit Community Market sites located in 11-16 locations in Detroit neighborhoods where residents do not have a consistent supply of nutritionally dense foods.

Eastern Market accepts various forms of payment including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Double Up Food Bucks, Project Fresh, Market Fresh, and Fresh Prescription to improve access to fresh food for all Detroiters.

This spring, the Lions partnered with Eastern Market to bring nearly 200 Fresh Food boxes to youth at Pure Heart Foundation and Detroit Lions Academy in Detroit. This helped provide families with produce they often may not have ready access to.