Detroit Rescue Mission, Dearborn cops deliver food at senior living apartments

Police tape around a play scape, swing sets roped off. It is a sign of the times.

Children can't play at the park and just across the street in Dearborn, the senior citizens who live at Townsend Towers can't leave their building, all because of COVID-19.

"They're actually locked in right now and they're on formal lockdown," said Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad. "They can't have visitors and the tend to have average age of over 75-years-old."

So Haddad is partnering with Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries to deliver boxes of food for the city's seniors.

In Dearborn alone there are five senior buildings like that one, meaning there are 800 people they're trying to feed

"They have rice, cooking oil, olive oil, tuna, different type of lentils," 

"Each individual is getting enough meals to be able to cook for at least two weeks," said Chad Audi, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.

About $40,000 worth of food is being donated. The Qazi Foundation also contributed - and deliveries are being made to seniors in Highland Park and Inkster as well.

"These are the toughest of times that most of us have ever seen and sometimes our seniors can't fend for themselves," Haddad said. 

"We are trying to limit their trips to the grocery stores - to be able to be safe in their own homes and then have healthy meals as much as we can," Audi said.

With the help of Dearborn's police training office, patrol force, interns and police reserve officers - they are doing just that.