gleaning america's fields
Did you know?
- Over 70 million people in the U.S. today are food insecure. We throw away billions of pounds of good food each year. Formed in 1979 Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) brings people together to harvest and share healthy food, reduce food waste, and build caring communities by offering nourishment to hungry neighbors.
- Partnering with faith groups, secular groups, schools, and individuals, SoSA sends willing volunteers to glean (pick, dig, or gather) fresh fruits and vegetables from fields and orchards. Sharing healthy and nourishing food with hungry people, prevents food waste, and spreads the abundance that we are provided.
- Potatoes this year cost an average of $0.89 per pound. Last year St. Mark’s partnered with SoSA and provided 40,000 pounds of potatoes for only $0.16 per pound! Please help us reach our fundraising goal of nearly $7000 to host this annual Potato Drop, on September 26, 2026.
2024 Impact- 8.8 million people benefited from nourishing donated food
- 11,064 tons of nourishing food kept out of landfills
- 67,617 volunteer hours served
- 817 farmers & growers donated excess and unmarketable produce
- 2.5 billion gallons of water waste prevented
SoSA volunteers typically glean produce left behind after the harvest on local farms. Gleaning keeps produce from going to waste by sharing it with local feeding agencies. Come glean with SoSA to be a good steward of our resources and share food with people in need! Visit https://endhunger.org/get-involved/volunteer/ to fill out the volunteer interest form.