Gleaners

Gleaners, also known as The Volunteers Of Gleaners, is a non-profit organization founded by Gloria Martinson in 1986 that helps feed the homeless in Jackson, Mississippi (not to be confused with the Gleaners food bank in Indiana^[1] or Gleaners in Michigan, one of the oldest and largest foodbanks in the US ^[2] ). Gleaning is the collection of leftover crops after fields have been harvested.

Alton B. Cobb is current CEO and Nancy Willis is the Director of Operations.^[3]

Mission

The Volunteers of Gleaners in Jackson, Mississippi collects food that otherwise would go to waste and gives it to charitable agencies.^[4][5][6] Donated food comes from wholesale food distributors, retail establishments such as supermarkets, restaurants, and bakeries, as well as hospitals and churches.^[5][6] The food is then distributed to charities caring for indigent elderly, to day care centers, halfway houses, and shelters, at no cost to them.^[3]

Operations

Gleaners is an all-volunteer, nonprofit agency overseen by a board of directors. They have a fleet of seven trucks for collecting food from donors, and operate from a building equipped with walk-in refrigerators and freezers, tables for re-packaging of donated food, and sinks for cleaning of equipment. With total expenses less than $40,000 per year, they receive no government funding, and all operating expenses for vehicles, food packaging, utilities, fuel and insurance come from private individuals, foundations, churches, and non-governmental grants.^[6] Some 60 volunteers serve Gleaners each year, driving the trucks and preparing food for distribution.^[3]

The Need

Food distribution is based on numbers and characteristics of persons served in each shelter. Over 50 agencies share food donations based on need, so that Gleaners can provide food to charitable agencies that care for the poor, the homeless, the mentally ill and the chemically addicted. Most involved charities pick up food donations once or twice a week, while some get a daily food distribution.^[3]

History

Gleaners has been in operation since 1986, Gloria Martinson started the organization from her kitchen. The amount of food collected and distributed has increased through 2011, with food intake and outgo exceeding one million pounds. The cost per pound of food collected and distributed has remained at about four cents per pound, compared to a market value of $1.50 per pound or more than $1.5 million for all food distributed. Gleaners had about sixty volunteers.^[6]

References