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New AmeriCorps member: Welcome Jen!

23 Jul 2025, by Admin in Harvest Against Hunger

Jennifer Roberts is a recent graduate from the University of Washington, where she received her BA in Political Science. She moved to Seattle from Phoenix, Arizona, and has volunteered with hunger relief organizations and food banks in both cities. She also volunteered with the University of Washington food pantry. Through her classes at UW, she learned about the environmental and social impacts that food waste and food insecurity has on communities across the country. Prior to serving as an Americorps member, Jen worked as a congressional intern in Washington’s first district and as a refugee resettlement intern in the Western Washington area. She is excited to continue to serve the Washington community as an Engagement Specialist with the Washington Gleaning Network.

The Washington Gleaning Network is an organization that works to connect gleaners, farmers, volunteers, and communities across the state. Gleaning, the practice of collecting excess food and donating to those who need it, is a growing movement in Washington. The state is home to 10% of gleaning organizations nationwide. The Washington Gleaning Network began in 2023 as a collaboration between Harvest Against Hunger and the Association of Gleaning Organizations, and has been operating since 2023. The network hosts meetings to share best practices and allows for greater connection and collaboration between various gleaning organizations and the communities they serve. 

As a Harvest VISTA, Jen will be creating toolkits to enable other communities and organizations to found their own gleaning networks based on the Washington Gleaning Network model. These tools will enable communities beyond Washington to grow gleaning as a movement and share best practices and resources amongst gleaning organizations. She will also be developing and managing social media strategies to help increase awareness, engagement, and collaboration within the gleaning community. These efforts will ultimately help to grow the gleaning movement both within and beyond Washington.