Written by Meggie Stewart, Communications and Program Expansion VISTA. Concrete Jungle’s gleaning events at farms, orchards, and vineyards outside the city of Atlanta are called Adventure Picks. These are day-long events that typically involve a few hours of harvesting followed by an “adventure” to nearby…
Written by Katie Allen, Grow A Row Coordinator VISTA The Grow A Row Coordinator VISTA works with Kitsap Harvests Volunteer Coordinator to recruit and manage Grow-A-Row volunteers. Volunteers sign up through the Kitsap Harvest website and indicate which program they are most interested in, then…
Spokane Edible Tree Project (SETP) had approximately 250 volunteers participate in the gleaning program in 2018. The number of volunteers has continued to grow each year, as SETP gains recognition throughout the community. However, as with most nonprofits, the difficulty comes in finding committed and…
Through the Mississippi Gleaning Network, gleaning supervisors coordinate volunteers across the state to enter fields and groves after farmers have finished harvesting to pick up tons of good produce left behind. Volunteers represent groups from various religions, church denominations, youth groups, corporate and civic organizations,…
In Yakima, the program has three types of gleaning volunteers: out-of-town groups, in-town groups, and individual volunteers. Our recruitment and management strategies are different for each: Out-of-town groups, or mission trips, are usually students and leaders who come to the Yakima Valley in the summer…
Recruiting volunteers for gleaning on the Olympic Peninsula is a test of persistence and creativity. There are no cities here and no big colleges or universities, and overall it is not very densely populated. Yet, there are many ways to spread the word about the…
Set up volunteer recruitment policies If working within another agency, utilize the volunteer manager or recruiter, and learn the volunteer recruitment procedures regarding training (onsite training or offsite before glean), background checks, court-ordered volunteers, discuss potential risks of the program and create parameters and policies…
Volunteers are the most essential piece of a functioning gleaning program. Keeping a well-trained and supported group of gleaning volunteers will lead to its success. The first thing to remember is that volunteer recruitment is never done. Gleaning is physically demanding, subject to bad weather,…
The same laws that protect commercial donors apply to individual donors. The Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protects all food donors and gleaners from criminal and civil liability. With the liability issue covered, the focus turns to program development and donor recruitment. For this, marketing materials are…
Written by Samara Elaine Gonzalez, Fresh Express Mobile Market VISTA Y1. Updated by Danyelle Neumann, Fresh Express Mobile Market VISTA Year 2. Tacoma Farmers Market (TFM) provides volunteer opportunities for all ages, abilities, and comfort levels. There are numerous projects and areas within TFM that…
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