A New Team Member
If you have been around the Gleaning Project for the past two months, you may have met Abby, our new Assistant Gleaning Coordinator in Franklin County. She started in late May and will be with us for this upcoming gleaning season (and beyond!) Here's how she feels about it.
Bucket Build was Abby's first day. She loved it.
"I am so grateful to have the chance to work with the Gleaning Project! I grew up in Chambersburg in the heart of Franklin County, but I had never heard of “gleaning”. Recently a friend told me about the work of the Gleaning Project and encouraged me to apply for an open position. Of course, I did my research, and was shocked to hear the staggering statistics of what the project has accomplished in such a short time span.
26,000 people received fresh produce last year alone?!
315,000 pounds of perfectly good fruits and veggies were put to good use instead of thrown in the dumpster or left out to rot in the fields?
I've worked with a wide array of non-profits and community groups, but never one as unique as this! The heart of the Gleaning Project is to help others with resources that already exist and are otherwise going to waste. Who couldn’t be happy about that?
What excites me most about The Gleaning Project, however, is how it empowers our community members. Anyone can help reduce food waste and increase food security simply by showing up and giving a few hours of their time. It inspires me to see so many people care about their neighbors and want to better their town. It is such a group effort and I’m very happy to be joining it.
A little about me: As I mentioned, I grew up in Chambersburg and spent my first 18 years in Franklin County. I attended college in the Midwest (Taylor University) and moved to Chicago within months of graduation. I met my husband, Steve, in Chicago where we were both involved in the same church. We had a rich community and wonderful life experiences there, but in May we bid farewell to the city and moved back to Franklin County. We are both looking forward to spending time with family, working in careers that fit our talents and diving into our local community. In my spare time, I like to cook healthy and delicious things, go jogging, pet dogs/cats/cute furry animals and make music. I’m excited to meet many of you as we serve side by side with the Gleaning Project this year!"
We're so glad to have Abby join our team! She'll be running gleaning in Franklin County with Jay this year. We are so lucky to have her skills and perspective to help continue to grow our fledging project. Welcome Abby : )