Focus on Giving: CARES in Farmington Hills
fights suburban hunger

Todd Lipa needs people to understand: Suburban hunger is real.

As executive director of CARES in Farmington Hills, he has received tearful calls from parents who have lost their jobs and seniors who cannot make ends meet on Social Security. Often forced to choose between keeping the lights on, paying for vital medication or putting their next meal on the table, clients turn to his nonprofit for help.

“It’s really important for us to give dignity, honor, respect and compassion. The folks that we deal with — the 800-plus households that come through each month — they’re coming through with a lot of worries,” Lipa says of CARES, which serves Farmington, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Redford, Livonia, Northville, Novi and West Bloomfield.

The nonprofit provides comprehensive support services including food assistance, recovery programs and help navigating the health care system to ensure families and individuals can obtain the necessities they need to thrive.

“If you look at the communities we serve, most people would say those ZIP codes can’t have hunger issues. Well, they do,” Lipa says. “Where we’re seeing the biggest need in food insecurity is folks who are still working but just can’t make ends meet.”

Lipa says the need is surging. Since in-person operations resumed in 2022, the number of clients CARES serves has more than doubled. The rising cost of living, stagnant wages, state and federal aid cuts, and economic uncertainty all contribute to the increased demand, Lipa says.

CARES’ goal is to meet this need through an innovative model. It operates a low-cost public grocery store on its campus that accepts state food assistance cards. The profits are then reinvested in a complementary food pantry that’s free for people in need. Both markets offer fresh produce, canned goods and more. Clients are encouraged to supplement the groceries they receive from CARES with support from other organizations, such as Gleaners and Forgotten Harvest, that also fight food insecurity.

Lipa understands suburban hunger better than most. After his mom passed away when Lipa was 10 years old, his family relied on a food pantry that the late Rev. James B. Wright, aka “Father Jim,” ran at the Servant Church of St. Alexander in Farmington Hills. The church closed in 2014, leaving Lipa, other former parishioners, community members and leaders concerned that the food pantry would no longer be available to serve people in need. So, they banded together in 2017 to form CARES and bought the building and 10.5-acre property.

In 2024, CARES established a nonprofit endowment fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan so its donors could continue to support Father Jim’s legacy. A portion of the fund will be made available annually to CARES for its operations, and the remaining assets will be reinvested for growth in perpetuity.

This arrangement frees up CARES to focus on its work in the community, with the peace of mind that comes from knowing it will have funds to depend on in the future. The fund also provides donors with a way to include CARES in their estate plans.

“The bottom line is we want everybody to put their footprint on this 10 and a half acres, because once they do, they can see that it’s more than just a food pantry, CARES is truly a campus of hope.”

Todd Lipa