Shake Your Tailfeather -- and Help the Hungry

It's said – and quite loudly – ain't no party like a Detroit party. But there ain't no recession like this recession (if you'll pardon the poor English).

So what do real Detroiters do when the big corporate sponsors can't or won't show up? They throw a party any way they can. And that is good news. It's also one of the main reasons why Detroit will never truly die. Just when things seem hopeless, we dig deep in our creative bones and find a solution.

Tonight, you'll see solutions at work – and play – during the “Rockin' at the Roostertail” event. For a mere $55, you can help hungry families, declare your financial independence and enjoy some music, food and adult beverages in support of a great cause.

The proceeds go to Samaritan House, a charity in Macomb County that provides food to struggling people in Macomb County, and Forgotten Harvest, a food-rescue organization that picks up food that would otherwise be wasted and delivers it to metro Detroit shelters and the like to help feed their residents.

Come out because you care. Show up because you can. Give because you must. Did you know Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, designated September as Hunger Action Month? Plus, there will be a huge harvest moon this evening – what better place to see it than on the Detroit River with friends?

Here's the details: Tickets are still available online or you can buy them at the door. The event starts at 8 p.m. and goes through midnight. It features great Roostertail food in the form of high-end hors d'oeuvres. There are two musical performers on tap: R&B singer Thornetta Davis and old-school rock-and-rollers Category 5. There also will be a silent auction and 50/50 raffle for you betting types.

“It's going to be a really laid-back, fun place,” said organizer Michele Jones. “If you haven't heard these singers before, you have a great opportunity to have an (affordable) evening in the city and see one of Detroit's jewels – the Roostertail.”

When no major corporate sponsor(s) showed up to help this year's event, Jones said tons of smaller, local businesses came forward with what they could. Web developers Magic Box donated their services to create the online site. Randazzos Heating and Cooling gave money.

“In the scheme of things, and all the powerful events and happenings in the area, this isn't that big. But it is the spirit of our community that I believe is going to see us through this difficult time and this is regular people having a fun musical evening and making a difference for others at the same time,” Jones said.

Some information about whom you will be helping: In Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties, 500,000 people including nearly 200,000 children live in poverty. Michigan has lost an estimated 1 million jobs over the past decade. A large share of the jobs lost where in Southeast Michigan. Those lost jobs were high- and middle-wage lower education jobs in lower education industries. It is unlikely these jobs will ever return.

The need is high: Since 2006 ,the number of individual emergency food recipients who receive food each week in Southeast Michigan has grown by over 78 percent. This is from a 2010 survey of metro-Detroit emergency food providers: 19 percent had to turn away people due to “not enough food.” Some 84 percent said the numbers of people seeking help has increased dramatically. These people are not numbers; they are men, women and children.

According to Jones, Samaritan House said in August it gave out more food than it did in May, June and July altogether. It's that much of an exploding need.

So do what you can. I've donated some cash. What else could we do? If you want to fix Detroit…it's the same solution. Baby steps, people. It's all about baby steps. And it's that much better if you can have fun in the process.

For more info, click here.