Nextdoor Neighbors Help Lighthouse Combat Summer Hunger with Cereal and Mac-n-Cheese Contest

PONTIAC, MI (July 15, 2025) - The Nextdoor folks are at it again, leveraging the app to encourage neighbors to help neighbors. After successful winter coat and spring housewares drives, one local neighbor, Patrice McDonald Rowbal of Troy, asked Lighthouse Pontiac what they needed most in the summer---and put together a Cereal and Mac-n-Cheese drive. “With school out and kids at home, food insecurity rises, and more support is needed for our families,” said Lighthouse in an email.

Rowbal, a recent retiree and regular volunteer at Lighthouse, decided to again mobilize the Nextdoor.com community to help. She said that neighbors had been asking what the next donation drive would be, so she blasted information about the summer drive on the social media network. “I put two boxes at my door,” said Rowbal, “One labeled ‘Team Cereal,’ and the other labeled ‘Team Mac n Cheese,’ hoping to spark interest with a fun and friendly competition.” And again, her neighbors came through in fine form, donating an amazing 80 boxes of cereal (equal to 498 servings) and 110 boxes of mac and cheese (345 servings!).

“I’m so proud of our community who again have joined in an effort to help others,” Rowbal said. “It’s wonderful to see what happens when everyone pitches in.” Regular Lighthouse contributors Peggy and Scott Price from Royal Oak have been happy to help. “As we get older it’s harder to physically volunteer but we can still contribute in other ways. God has blessed us in so many ways and we feel like we need to help wherever we can. So we collect clothing, knit hats and mittens for the kids and buy a little extra cereal at the grocery store when we shop. We know that every little bit helps when you are struggling to make ends meet. It makes us feel so good to be able to contribute in any small way.”

And it couldn't have come at a better time. Said Amber Ruple, Lighthouse Warehouse Lead: "This will be extremely helpful for our families! We have noticed a significant increase in need for the month of July and are rapidly depleting the current resources we have on hand!"

Lighthouse’s mission is to build equitable communities that alleviate poverty in partnership with and in service to individuals, families, and organizations. They help youth, families, and individuals experiencing homelessness find shelter and provide food, shelter, rental/utility and other financial assistance, crisis referrals, affordable housing development and other resources. Their goal is helping people become self-sufficient.

For more information about Lighthouse or information on how to hold your own drive, visit lighthousemi.org

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