TCF Center loading docks being used for food distribution center

As the COVID-19 pandemic has placed a greater need on food donations, the Detroit chapter of Food Rescue U.S. has been distributing food to people who have never needed help in the past.

One of those distributions sites is the TCF Center where, every Friday morning, the loading docks are set up to pack vehicles with free food to help people in need.

"My daughter and her fiancé are laid up in quarantine with COVID and she's gonna be my first stop," Brian Walsh told FOX 2 as he got his car loaded up.

We're four months into a global pandemic and people who are laid off from work are having trouble paying the bills or even paying for food.

"You don't realize how many people are out there how much they really need," said Nick Prudell with the Feed the Need.

Food Rescue U.S. is responsible for organizing and distributing to food banks and other non-profit organizations. Direct Darraugh Collins said most people aren't used to being in this situation.

"Often people that weren't in need prior to the pandemic are in need now," she said. "Right now we're at least 430 thousand pounds that we've distributed))

Volunteer Bob Newberry said it feels good to help people in need and they kinda work like a well-oiled machine.

"One week we had potatoes - 44,000 pounds of potatoes in 10 pounds bags - that we went through. We usually do like an assembly line as you witnessed, start loading up and stacking up in," he said.

TCF Center General Manager Claude Molinari said that, in this time of need, the help is sorely needed.

"It's been a great labor of love for our team. It's been disappointing with everything going on and we've had to furlough a lot of staff. And yet, a bunch of people have been able to come back and assist with this do something good for the community," Molinari said.