Village Harvest is a nonprofit volunteer organization based in the Santa Clara Valley, California with operations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. They are a Harvesting for the Hungry (H4H) program, which harvested almost 125,000 lbs. of fruit from local backyards and small orchards in 2007. A backyard fruit tree usually produces far more fruit than a household can use themselves, and there is more than enough going to waste from local backyards and farms to provide for our local community's hungry. This food distribution problem is addressed by organizing volunteer teams to harvest backyard fruit and donate it to charitable food agencies and organizations.
Village Harvest is an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization, funded through private donations and the sale of volunteer-made preserves. Donations received are tax-deductible (Tax ID: 04-3718164).
More people than ever are applying for this program. Here's a list of what they hope to accomplish in 2009.
Add harvesting teams and Team Leaders. We have many more
homeowners offering fruit and new volunteers offering their time and talents, but we need more local team leaders. This is often just a once a month commitment on a weekend. Grow nationally into other communities. Communities all over the country want to leverage what Village Harvest has developed and learned. We have already expanded into Berkeley, and have requests to start chapters in Santa Cruz, Davis, San Ramon, San Mateo County, Marin County, Santa Barbara, Long Beach, and Hawaii.
To support this expansion we'll need to tap the diverse talents of our many volunteers outside of harvesting fruit. Whether you manage people or computers, write words, create graphics or software code, or have just about any other professional skill, we'll need you!
Contact joni@villageharvest.org if you're interested in
volunteering in a special capacity. Additionally, if you haven't already given this year, please consider supporting us financially. Fruit helps feed the hungry, but it can't pay for equipment, gasoline, telephones, or insurance. Donate online at www.villageharvest.org (click the "Donate" link on the home page), or mail a check to Village Harvest, P.O. Box 9231, San Jose, CA 95157. Your donations are tax deductible, and the organization is also eligible for matching grants from many employers.
Have a restful holiday ... the busy citrus season is starting!
Here's wishing you health and happiness in your home and garden
for the upcoming year.
Joni T. Diserens
Founder, Executive Director, and Volunteer
Village Harvest
joni@villageharvest.org
Village Harvest
(888) FRUIT-411