Gleaners of the field and your local grocery stores!

Are you looking for a fresh volunteer experience, one gives you an instant return on your time and sweat investment? Are you looking for something more than just a place to sink money in your community? Want to see excess food go to where it should, like into the hands of those who need it most? Then give gleaning a try.
Over the years I have volunteered with various gleaner organizations, notably one's located in Snohomish, King and Pierce counties. I ended my last gleaning "career" as a Saturday morning Sorting Supervisor, overseeing the work of twenty voluteers who sorted through deliveries from ten supermarkets and two to three bread distribution facilities. It was good work, hard work, sometimes wretched work, but in the end pretty nice if only because we were there on hand to glean from the best breads and produce that came in for that particular shift. "Shopping" during the week was also an option, but for those of us who traveled a distance to help in the pulling, sorting and distribution of many tons of foodstuffs, once every two weeks was ample. The foods that we processed and set aside were distributed not only to local food banks, church networks and hot kitchens, but also to households and gleaner subscribers alike. It felt great keeping edible food in the pipeline, and made those fifty mile round trip drives out to Spanaway all that more worthwhile.

I was reading a new local food magazine today, titled Edible Seattle. One of the articles highlighted a local gleaning hero, Carrie Little, of Mother Earth Farm, who along with her volunteers provided 150,000 pounds of organic produce to food banks in 2007 . That was exciting enough, but the article also gave a great overview of a fantastic food distribution organization, The Emergency Food Network, located in Lakewood, Washington, who's online site has a multitude of resources for those in need as well as numerous volunteer opportunities for those who wish to help food find the needy in Pierce County.

Working for The Gleaners was for me a very moving and meaningful experience. I can't abide by food waste, not when there are so many that are hungry. If you feel a need to volunteer in the area of food redistribution, and wish to go beyond helping at your local foodbank once a year, give them a call. The best part of your effort is knowing that your energy and goodwill goes straight into the homes, pantries and refrigerators of those who need it most.

Cooks Talk!

Contact information about The Emergency Food Network:
http://www.efoodnet.org/

Thurston County has a Gleaner organization as well:

http://www.gleanerscoalition.org/

And here's information about Snohomish County's Evergreen Gleaning Association:

http://www.freewebs.com/egassociation/index.htm