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$5,000 Goal
Good food should never go to waste. At the Society of St. Andrew, we work with farmers, growers, packing houses, warehouses, and distributors to salvage fresh, nutritious produce that is not commercially marketable. We take that produce and we give it away, free of charge, to agencies offering nourishment to hungry neighbors.
Since our office opened in June 2022, we have shared more than 5 million pounds of food each year, and are on track to distribute more than 9 million servings in 2025! We engage 1,000 volunteers annually across the regions who 'glean' (pick, dig, or gather) produce from farmers' fields, big backyard gardens, or farm markets. Volunteers also pick up good food at farms and deliver it immediately to local hunger agencies!
We also recover large loads of produce that may be mispackaged, mislabeled, or misdirected in shipping or may have cosmetic flaws that cause it to be less than perfect in appearance.
The Society of St. Andrew provides the produce we glean to major food banks, to smaller food pantries, to soup kitchens, shelters, emergency food box programs, senior and child nutrition programs, and Title I schools. We always give it away free of charge, always in quantities that can be used without waste, and always to people at risk for hunger.
The Society of St. Andrew is a "win" for all involved. Hungry people are fed. Landfill waste is reduced. Farmers and growers receive a charitable donation receipt for all the produce they donate. Volunteers grow community spirit and make a difference right in their local area. Receiving agencies have better food to feed their clients--and stretch their limited budgets.
Our simple model operates on a grassroots, neighbor-helping-neighbor basis. It just makes sense!
We are a nationwide nondenominational nonprofit, taking our name from the disciple Andrew, who brought a boy to Jesus with a few loaves of bread and some small fish. We find abundance where others see little, and through that abundance, multitudes are fed.
The Society of St. Andrew brings people together to harvest and share healthy food, reduce food waste, and build caring communities by offering nourishment to hungry neighbors.
Each year, Society of St. Andrew’s Delmarva Gleaning Network shares millions of servings of food with agencies and individuals across the Delmarva Peninsula and all of Maryland AT NO COST to any recipient. We are able to do this because of the generosity of our community. Our needs are:
• Volunteers: Our volunteers join us in farm fields for an hour or two at a time to gather the good food that is left behind after harvest. This food is perfectly edible but unmarketable because of size or cosmetic issues. Gleaned food goes directly from farms to local agencies. We also rely on volunteers with trucks, trailers, SUVs or vans to help pick up and distribute already harvested food.
• Growers: We work with all types of growers, including large farms, small organic farms, hydroponic growers, and backyard gardeners who have excess food that they hate to see wasted. All donations are tracked and donors receive a tax letter at the end of the year documenting their donations for tax purposes.
• Agencies: We rely on agencies to get good food out to their neighbors quickly and efficiently. We work with pantries of all sizes, including senior living sites, Title 1 schools, church food pantries and soup kitchens, and large feeding agencies and food banks. We regularly receive offers of large loads of produce that needs to be moved on short notice. Agencies with access to a forklift, pallet jack, and storage are always welcome!
• Monetary Support: Society of St. Andrew has the highest rating from Charity Navigator and other rating agencies. More than 90% of donations go directly to programming, getting good food to people in need, and keeping it out of already-stressed landfills. Every dollar donated helps us distribute 20 servings of nutritious food to local food-insecure residents! Our support comes from generous individuals, congregations, and foundations.
Organization name
Society of St. Andrew
other names
Delmarva Gleaning Network
Tax id (EIN)
54-1285793
Impact/Cause Area
Food Security
Organization Location
Wicomico
Counties Served
Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset, Other
Address
302 St. Alban's Drive