Gleaning America's Fields ~ Feeding America's Hungry

 

 

Gleaning Locations  

Volunteer to Glean  

Gleaning Waiver Form    

 

 

2012 Results

 

Last year, more than 40-thousand volunteers joined with us to salvage and distribute to America's hungry more than 23 million pounds of produce through our Gleaning Network (more than 33 million pounds in all programs.)

 

Historical Total

On average, more than 17 gleaning events, with 110 volunteers, take place every single day of the year. Since it was established in 1988, the Gleaning Network has brought more than half-a-million volunteers into America's fields to glean food for America's hungry.

Gleaning Network

One major area of food waste in America is in farmers' fields, where crops that don't meet top-grade quality are left to rot or be plowed under.

Gleaning is the traditional Biblical practice of gathering crops that would otherwise be left in the fields to rot, or be plowed under after harvestThe Gleaning Network coordinates volunteers, growers, and distribution agencies to salvage this food for the needy.

 

Tens of thousands of volunteers from churches, synagogues, scout troops, senior citizen groups, and other organizations participate each year in Society of St. Andrew gleaning activities. Each year, tens of millions of pounds of produce are salvaged and given to the poor at no cost to them.

 

Gleaners are people of all ages and income levels who want to give of themselves. Usually within 48 hours of picking the produce, hungry Americans receive the gleaned food. Each year, some 30,000-40,000 people glean with us - to pick up over 20 million pounds of fresh, nutritious food for their hungry neighbors.

 

 

Why It Works

 

The Gleaning Network is an extremely successful and cost effective program because it is volunteer-driven and biblically-based.

The biblical mandate comes from Deuteronomy 24:19When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all your undertakings. (NRSV).

By relying on people seeking to put hands and feet to their faith, we are able to keep our costs to about 2.4 cents per serving of gleaned food.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 © Society of St. Andrew | All Rights Reserved | Home | Donate | Contact Us | Site Map | Privacy Policy
National Office: 3383 Sweet Hollow Road, Big Island VA 24526                         800-333-4597 or 434-299-5956