How to Feed Your Neighbor

Around the holidays, people tend to want to volunteer more than usual to ensure that everyone has a wonderful holiday season. In addition to donating food, gifts and money, gleaning or donating leftover produce from farms that is still fresh is becoming a viable way to help feed those who need meals during the holiday season. Start feeding the hungry, including those who could be right next door.

Things You'll Need

• Phone book
• Work Clothes
• Truck

Instructions

1. 

   Learn about gleaning. The process of gleaning--harvesting leftover crops for the poor--dates back to biblical days. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, the process is smart. You simply collect produce that cannot be sold and donate it. In most cases, the fruits and vegetables are in ideal condition and may only have cosmetic impairments. The produce will otherwise be thrown out or rot, so it's like reusing, in a sense. Plus, it offers a nutritious alternative to donating perishable goods, which can often be less healthy.

   Gleaning is growing in popularity, especially due to the recession. "This idea of rescuing food that's going to go to waste makes an awful lot of sense to people," says Teresa Snow, program director of agricultural resources at the Vermont Foodbank in South Barre.

2. 

   Contact the appropriate outlets. Start talking to food banks, senior centers and other social service programs to see where you can donate fresh food once you have it. Then, get in touch with farms in your area to ask what they do with unwanted but fresh produce, and if it can be donated.

   Make sure to let them know that there is likely a tax credit for donating the food. Anything to get farmers and growers on board can be a huge help.

   To glean on a smaller scale, talk to neighbors who might be in need and see if they are interested. Try to be polite and not outwardly show any pity.

3. 

   Arrange for hauling. In many cases, you will need at least one truck to haul the produce to its destination. Check to see if rental companies or even friends would like to help. Again, talk to the farms themselves to see if they can help in transporting the goods.

4. 

   Join or start a group. The best way to start gleaning is to network with others to get the resources and support you need. Form or join an already established group and you can meet new friends and have fun helping others. There is a gleaning network at EndHunger.org and there are plenty of resources on the Web to find a gleaning group near you.

Tips & Warnings

• To make gleaning more attractive and to get others with resources to help, try to get the media involved to give the organizations some good press. This tops off an already great deed by letting those involved get recognition and by inspiring others to do the same.

Resources

• Slow Movement
• End Hunger Gleaning Network