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Nonprofit group are feeding the hungry by gleaning .
For glean groups , the sight of undesirable fruit putrefaction on the ground beneath tree branches represents an opportunity to make a divergence .

Gleaning , the practice of harvesting undesirable or remnant produce , is not newfangled , but it is becoming more pop as a means of providing healthy , topically grow food to those in demand .
From a bumper crop of Prunus persica in urban parks to an abundance of apples in a rural orchard , organization reap the fruit and deliver it to low income seniors , the homeless and school dejeuner course of study .
Keep register to regain out how these organizations are gleaning for beneficial .

friendly relationship Donations web : establish in Ithaca , N.Y. , this nonprofit organization does more than donate unused produce to those in need ; the group also ensures that edible fruits and vegetables do n’t end up in the landfill .
“ It ’s a model that makes a destiny of sense , ” note Program Coordinator Meaghan Sheehan . “ There is no cause for food to go to waste when there are farmers willing to donate [ their leftovers ] , avenues to distribute it and hoi polloi who need it . ”
Since launch a gleaning platform in 1988 , Friendship Donations connection has distributed thousands of pounds of fresh produce to those in pauperism . The group has partnerships with local orchards , farm and CSAs to fasten garden truck donation and deliver the harvests to food buttery , children ’s programs , low salary work sites and elderly citizens who lack access to fresh food . Up to 2,100 people per week benefit from the gleaning efforts .
fit in to Sheehan , the farmers who donate produce to the programme “ desire to see the food they ’re growing made accessible to everyone . ”
In the future tense , Friendship Donations web plans to offer year and formula Koran to teach recipients — those who might not be familiar with eggplant , courgette , squeeze and some of the other yield and vegetables acquired through gleaning efforts — how to use the produce to train fresh , nutrient meals .
Urban Youth Harvest : Kids on bikes are pedaling through neighborhoods in Oakland , Calif. , in hunt of undesirable produce .
Local donors invite member of Urban Youth Harvest onto their holding to pick orangeness , apples , lemon , grapefruits , plum , figs and other unwanted produce . The pickers , ages 14 to 21 , habituate donated cycle to transport the green groceries to low - income seniors who miss access to fresh produce .
Urban Youth Harvest is a program that ’s part of People United for a Better Life in Oakland ( PUEBLO ) , a nonprofit that preach for low - income resident of Oakland . Youth in the programme are paid for gleaning , thanks to fiscal support from a local summer jobs program and federal stimulus funds .
Since its inception in 2007 , the program has reap thousands of pounds of unwanted produce from Oakland neighborhood . When the 2012 harvest begins , Urban Youth Harvest project to bestow health - promote herbs like mint , thyme and rosemary to its gleaning program .
In describing her goal for Urban Youth Harvest , Founder Rashidah Grinage told newsman : “ I desire to help elder maintain skillful health with local , organic , liberal produce [ and … ] give young people the opportunity to understand and solve the trouble . ”
Although employee are paid for their time , Urban Youth Harvest offers more than a part - time job for neighborhood kids . Youth also give ear workshops to learn about the family relationship between food for thought and wellness , as well as to make education about horticulture and food - justice issues . It ’s a concept the organization calls “ pull in and learning . ”
In gain to harvesting garden truck that would otherwise be leave to rot , Urban Youth Harvest creates a sustainable intellectual nourishment root for those in need with almost zero carbon footprint and provides meaningful employment for youth in the community .