We have all heard about a Food Drive… but a Fruit Drive? Have you ever heard of such a thing? In our region of such abundance and year round edible landscapes galore, we are making Fruit Drives the new norm.
Early this year, a passionate group of parents, GleanSLO volunteers and staff came together to give the Fruit Drive idea legs. We loved the concept of reaching out to students, parents and the larger community to pick ripe produce from neighborhood trees to bring to school, where we can collect it for distribution to hungry families. To ensure the Fruit Drive model would become a sustainable program, the group decided to invest the time into creating something replicable, something that would be easy for any parent, student or teacher to implement in their own school, church or civic group. This talented group of volunteers developed a Fruit Drive Kit that is now being used in schools across San Luis Obispo. Read on to learn more…
Our experience with students has shown that the act of collecting fruit for distribution can be an extremely powerful experience, building empathy and connection between students and families in less fortunate circumstances. In addition, the process of sharing food grown in local areas intensifies neighborhood associations between students, their parents, school faculty and the immediate community.
As part of the program we have provided each school with a ‘Fruit Drive Kit’ that will help the collection run more smoothly. The Fruit Drive Kit contains:
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One or more banners reminding students and parents to bring in produce, to be hung during Fruit Week.
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Two signs: “Our school feeds hungry families” and stakes to display on school property.
3. Two or more Neighborhood Lawn Signs “My garden feeds hungry families” for students and families to see and use to encourage participation. We will provide lawn signs to every home that donates fruit.
4. A Reproducible Neighborhood Flyer for students and their parents to distribute to neighbors if needed.
5. A Reproducible Parent Flyer explaining the Fruit Drive and the collection process.
Thank you for working with GleanSLO and the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County to feed hungry families in your community.
For more information or to request a Fruit Drive Kit for your school or group, please email gleanslo@slofoodbank.org or call 805-835-3750.
GleanSLO would like to thank the many talented volunteers who have been a part of the development of this project, and who continue to support its growth: Carolyn, Evan, Jahan, Jeanine, Johanna, Lucy, Mavis, Michelle, Olivia, Sienna, and Stephanie.
Thanks to the schools who have participated in the Fruit Drive program: Bishop’s Peak/Teach Elementary, Hawthorn, Laguna, Pacheco, Sinscheimer, and SLO High!
Photo credits: Carolyn Eicher
