AmpleHarvest.org now has more than 2,000 food pantries listed on its national food pantry registry, the Newfoundland, N.J.-based organization announced on July 2, 2010. The AmpleHarvest.org Campaign’s goal is to compile a comprehensive list of food pantries and food banks that accept fresh items. The database is a way for vegetable gardeners with excess produce to locate local food pantries willing to accept perishable products.
Locate a Local Food Pantry
It has only been one year since the start of the AmpleHarvest.org Campaign, but the database has already grown to include food pantries in all 50 states, according to an AmpleHarvest.org press release. Hitting this milestone is important because the more food pantries that are listed, the easier it will be for gardeners to access food pantries that accept perishable product and the less homegrown food will go to waste.
“The number of people growing food in home and community gardens in America is nearly as large as the number of people who don’t have enough food or are at real risk of not having enough food to feed their families,” said AmpleHarvest.org Founder Gary Oppenheimer.
Locating a local food pantry is easy. Vegetable gardeners and others interested in donating excess garden vegetables can visit the AmpleHarvest.org website or use the free iPhone app offered by AmpleHarvest.org. There the gardener enters his or her zip code and the closest food pantries, food shelves or food banks are listed. Each listing includes a contact name and number as well as any guidelines for when to drop off donations. Food pantries can include on their listing any non-perishable items that are needed so the database can be used by anyone who wants to make donations, not just people with vegetable gardens.
Add Food Pantries to the Registry
In July 2010, there were 2,232 food pantries listed and more food pantries are welcome to add their information to the free database. Registering is easy. Food pantry workers can go online to fill out a form to have their organization listed on the website. Internet access is not required to be listed on the database and no on-site refrigeration is necessary. “As more food pantries register on AmpleHarvest.org nationwide, more and more gardeners will have the opportunity to diminish hunger in their community,” Oppenheimer said.
Everyone can help the AmpleHarvest.org Campaign continue to grow. Anyone who knows of local food pantries not on the list can print out a registration form to give to the staff or the local director. Gardeners can spread the word about donating food to local pantries to each other. Large food banks and churches can notify the smaller organizations they assist of this valuable resource. Social networking via Facebook and Twitter can promote AmpleHarvest.org and its mission.
AmpleHarvest.org offers a national food pantry registry that is growing by the leaps and bounds. The database is a critical tool for connecting gardeners with excess produce with the local food pantries that accept fresh produce to distribute to help feed the hungry. Reaching the 2,000 mark and including food pantries in all 50 states is a milestone that will assist AmpleHarvest.org in its mission.
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Genna Cockerham - Genna Cockerham has been writing online since November 2008. She served as Marriage Feature Writer from December 2008 to February ...
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