WAYS TO GET INVOLVED:
Become a Gleaner
The easiest way to get involved! Register as a volunteer and then sign up for an event on our harvest page. Gleans are seasonal, available all over Merced county, and last about 2 hours. Gleaners are the hands and heart of our efforts to rescue nature’s bounty for the benefit of our community!
Harvest Leader
As a Harvest Leader, you will be trained and equipped to lead small groups of volunteers to harvest excess produce from homes in your area. Harvest Leaders drop off produce to a nearby food pantry, keeping the fruit as local as possible. Harvest Leaders may also co-lead farm gleans. It's up to each Harvest Leader to determine how frequently you would like to lead gleans. Harvest Leader Training occurs quarterly. “Glean, Grow, Give” T-shirt, equipment, harvest manual and additional supplies will be provided for each Harvest Leader. To learn more, contact our “Glean, Grow, Give” Coordinator, Earla at Earlaa@mmcfb.org
Farmers’ Market Collection Leader
Want to get to know your local farmers AND help feed the hungry? Every week “Glean, Grow, Give” collects leftover produce from the Farmers’ Markets. Our Collection Leaders engage with farmers, orchestrate volunteers and keep track of poundage and donation receipts. To learn more, contact our “Glean, Grow, Give” Coordinator, Earla at Earlaa@mmcfb.org
Host a Fruit Drive
Host a Fruit Drive at your school, business or neighborhood! The Fruit Drive model is similar to a typical food drive, but the fruit being collected is gathered from trees, rather than purchased. “Glean, Grow, Give” provides you with a Fruit Drive Kit that includes the resources you’ll need to successfully publicize and collect hundreds of pounds of produce within your community. To learn more, contact our “Glean, Grow, Give” Coordinator, Earla at Earlaa@mmcfb.org
Group Volunteering
Does your community group or volunteer organization want to participate in something with an impact? Gleaning options that can accommodate large groups are limited, seasonal and not guaranteed. Email our “Glean, Grow, Give” Coordinator, Earla at Earlaa@mmcfb.org to learn more and include the size of your group, potential dates and times you are available, and any other considerations.
