Day 288

I have given myself so many projects, that, even as I leave work, I feel like I have to keep to a strict schedule to get done with everything I want. I've fallen behind today on what I caught up with yesterday because I decided to watch a movie with my sister. I suppose I can double up on studying Korean tomorrow and hang up my clothes then...

While the hectic schedule can stress me out, it also makes the days go by faster. So I've decided to add another activity to my list.

Volunteering.

But I don't like regular soup-kitchen style volunteering, so it's not often that I sign myself up for stuff like that. However, I've heard a story play on NPR twice now that really caught my attention. And this second time I actually remembered to follow up on it!

What is this volunteering then?

Gleaning.

The Society of St. Andrew has put together a movement to end hunger through gleaning. And while I don't know if it's actually possible to end hunger, this is seriously the closest you can get to it.

What is "gleaning"?

glean (gln)

v. gleaned, glean·ing, gleans

v.intr.

To gather grain left behind by reapers.

According to the story on NPR, over 96 billion pounds of food go to waste before they ever have the chance to see a market. They just rot in the fields.

So the Society of St. Andrews gathers up what volunteers they can to go out into the fields, after the main harvesting is done, to collect what is left. Last year they were able to save 18 million pounds, and the food was taken straight to shelters and police stations for storage.

But there is so much more food that could be gleaned, and for that they need more volunteers.

The movement is still small, but one of the states they operate in is Tennessee. What luck! So I sent off an email today saying I would be glad to volunteer, and I've received a reply back already!

The actual work probably won't start until fall, but I'm excited nonetheless!

Photo courtesy of the Society of St. Andrews