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 With one out of six American families now relying
on pantries to help feed them, the pantries often have a hard time
meeting the demand.
At the same time, millions of backyard gardeners across America
frequently find that their vegetable, fruit, herb and nut gardens
provide far more produce than they can possibly use or share with
friends. The remainder is often either left to rot in the garden or
put into the trash, which contributes to pollution issues.
Gardeners who want to share part of their harvest are often unable
to find local pantries because they typically do not have a yellow
page listing or an Internet presence.
Food pantries almost never have access to fresh food due to the
structure of the American food bank network leaving food pantry
clients with access only to canned vegetables and fruit, often
packaged with sugar or salt – which can contribute to long term
health issues.
To address this, the AmpleHarvest.org web site enables food pantries
to register their name, phone, address, an optional photograph of
the pantry to make it easier to find, and day[s] and time[s] they
can accept the gardeners produce. Gardeners and other donors also
have the option of using the AmpleHarvest iPhone and Android apps
available as a free downloads.
Now that CAPCIL’s Food Pantry Co-op is a part of the
AmpleHarvest.org Campaign, area backyard and community gardeners
will be able to quickly find the pantry using the personalized
driving instructions available on the site. More than 6,000 (and
growing) food pantries participate nationwide.
According to AmpleHarvest.org founder and CNN Hero
Gary Oppenheimer, “In 2007, my own garden grew more produce than we
could possibly use, and I quickly found that there are only so many
cucumbers you can give to friends and still have them call you a
friend. Our community garden also left a lot of produce to rot on
the vines. What a waste. That was when it became clear that
AmpleHarvest.org was desperately needed.”
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CAPCIL’s Food Pantry Co-op welcomes fresh produce donations for
its clients. Additionally, information will be posted from time to time by the
pantry on the site, listing those store-bought items that are in short supply at
the pantry – this to enable anyone wishing to help their neighbors in need.
CAPCIL’s Food Pantry Co-op focuses on the encouragement of giving back through
volunteering while serving the nutritional and basic needs of the community.
They offer Co-op members weekly volunteer opportunities to give them a sense of
purpose and the option to learn new skills. Members are eligible to shop each
week in a grocery style setup. This is where they can choose items based on
their household preferences. “We are thankful that we can serve emergency
situations and provide volunteer opportunities. Our Co-op gives households the
opportunity to feed their families without putting stress on their financial
situation.” Said, Breann Titus Director of Agency Development
AmpleHarvest.org (www.AmpleHarvest.org) is a nationwide 501(c)3 not-for-profit
anti-hunger effort, backed and supported by Google Inc, the USDA, National
Gardening Association, Rotary International, Feeding America and most of
America’s food banks as well as the National Council of Churches, which
educates, encourages and empowers millions of growers across America to share
their excess garden produce with a local food pantry.
[Breann Titus
Director of Agency Development
Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois]
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