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…
Tracking Tools and Reporting Plans Volunteers are incredibly important to The Green Urban Lunch Box. Volunteers fill an essential role in helping reduce food waste in residential areas and connecting our community with fresh, local produce. As more and more individuals respond to the growing…
Volunteer Process and Systems Overview Gleaning isn’t the only way to volunteer at OIC of Washington. Volunteers can donate their time at the OIC Food Bank, located at 1419 Hathaway Street in Yakima, Washington. The food bank is a part of the OIC campus, so…
Key Points In rural areas, working with local volunteer groups, especially ones with similar missions, is often easier than recruiting volunteers by other means Having quality volunteers requires an established incentive structure for gleaning events (i.e. volunteers need to know they will be allowed to…