All fundraising conventional wisdom says that I’m supposed to tell you a story about an individual we have served. Rachael did this beautifully on Tuesday in her story about Jerry. I have stories … There was the time that we were delivering food to a refugee community and I returned to my car to find 6 little boys inside checking out all the bells and whistles after gleefully having chowed down on their first fresh peaches and tomatoes (using only their hands). Or, there were the first three Saturday’s I dropped off food at a neighborhood ambassador’s house on the East End. Week 1 – I didn’t see any of the neighbors making their way toward the food. I drove off wondering about the wisdom of the drop off location. Week 2 – I didn’t see anyone, but I saw the people beginning to gather as I drove away. Then, week 3 – the people were waiting for me!
I’m going to deny the CW, however, and tell you something else. Since John Walker, Jennifer Erena and I started GleanKY in 2010, I’ve seen a side of Lexington many of us rarely see. I’ve been asked, “Are there really people in Lexington that are hungry?” Answer – Yes. It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it? But, in the “Horse Capital of the World”, 1 in 6 of our neighbors are hungry and the majority of these are children and seniors. That fact is the primary reason we do what we do – collect excess fresh fruits and vegetables and redistribute them to those in need.
Here are a few ways the impact of GleanKY can be described:
• The mission of the 60+ partner organizations served by us is to create healthier adults and children and we aid their mission;
• 76% of those organizations report being able to serve more people after receiving fresh produce from us; and
• A school with which we collaborate said, “We appreciate [the gleaned apples] so much. We give then to children who didn’t get breakfast at home and come in during the school day asking for something to eat. The apple holds them over until lunch time.”
We need to find more sources of excess produce to continue our work and to serve more people. We have a plan to find and secure more food and that plan includes you. Consider this — when you donate $50 to GleanKY 100 crates of fresh produce are redistributed to our partners, including schools. If $10 is all you have to give that is 20 crates of food, which is a lot of fruits and vegetables.
I am passionate about GleanKY – the work we do and the difference we make. Join me in making a difference in the lives of our neighbors by donating at www.razoo.com/gleaning4ky.
This post was written by Board President and Co-Founder, Erica Horn.