Have you noticed the fruit trees on your street leaning over with abudance, tons of veggies in your garden, the full stands at the farmer's market? These are the tell-tale signs of peak gleaning season!

The Thurston County Food Bank has a Gleaning Program so that more of this locally grown food reaches hungry mouths, and less of it goes to waste. Farmers and gardeners can call the gleaners if they need help harvesting their abundance, and volunteers can help by joining the ranks, receiving weekly email updates and harvest times. Gleaning is a great activity for families and groups, contact us and we can schedule a volunteer day that works for you.

If you have a spare day each week, or even just once this harvest season, we'd love to have you along for a glean! And if you have produce for us to harvest, do your part in eliminating food waste, and give us a call.

Donation hours are Monday-Friday 8:30-4:00 at 220 Thurston Ave NE

To work with the Thurston County Food Bank’s gleaning and gardening efforts:

email gleaning@thurstoncountyfoodbank.org

call Shannon (360) 352-8597 ext. 108

Get weekly updates via Facebook www.facebook.com/thurstoncountygleaners

Happy Harvest Season!

Have you ever watched that fruit tree on your street ripen, and noticed that most of the perfectly tasty apples ended up falling and rotting on the ground? If you hate to see good food go to waste, you’ll be relieved to hear that your local food rescue programs are actively working towards a solution. This issue of food waste occurs at a time when we also have thousands of families in our community who are hungry; so what is your community doing about it?

To address the twin problems of hunger and waste, the the Thurston County Food Bank Gleaners host volunteers to go out and glean, which means to harvest food that would otherwise go to waste, and bring it to your local food bank. The Thurston County Food Bank began their gleaning project in 2009, after groups such as the Gleaners Coalition and the Evergleaners became less active. This program is supported as part of a statewide gleaning effort by the organization Rotary First Harvest called “Harvest Against Hunger,” which places AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers in eleven sites around Washington to help bridge the gap between local growers and food banks. VISTA member and recent Evergreen graduate Shannon Pritchard will be coordinating these efforts in Thurston County throughout the 2012 season.

The Thurston County Food Bank Gleaners focus on harvesting the bounty from the local organic farm community as well as the three Kiwanis Food Bank Gardens in Olympia. Last year over 32,000 lbs of nutritious produce were gleaned from farms, and Kiwanis gardens yielded an amazing 33,000 lbs for the Thurston County Food Bank! Kiwanis members and food bank garden volunteers participate in weekly work days to cultivate this abundance all season long, so anyone can stop by the Capitol Campus Garden on a Tuesday after work, or the Westside garden for some Saturday morning weeding.

Hi,

  My name is Daniel Wilson. Yes that guy. My house was attacked with gallons of paint and I don't really have very much money to help clean it up, my landlord isn't helping and I'm paying everything out of pocket. I'm not a rich kid with a parents' bank account and I want anyone who cares to donate whatever they can to my Paypal:

daniel.k.wilson@gmail.com

  I know that a lot of you might hate me or whatever, this plea is not for you. I'm talking to those that want to help out a struggling father who just had a whole bunch of mess happen to him because he was stupid enough to talk to the corporate media. Please just give me, like, twenty dollars right now. I'm not above asking people I don't know on the internet for money, so how about it Olympia?

PS-

If you're a rich pervert who gets off on unloading money into bank accounts in ten to twenty minute sessions (yes these are just some of the people capitalism creates) just do it with my paypal. I'll take all your money, I have no shame.

The biggest one-day volunteer event in Thurston County is coming up again soon. Sign up your team today!

Day of Caring is an annual event, held this year on September 24, where hundreds of volunteers from throughout Thurston County join local nonprofit and other community organizations to work on service projects. Participating organizations are matched with volunteers who give their time, talents and services to make a hands-on difference in our community.

Left Foot Organics is a local nonprofit organization helping people with intellectual disabilities and rural youth to gain job and life skills while growing good food for their community. Now in its eighth year, Left Foot offers paid employment experience and is committed to provide the support each individual needs to overcome their challenges and be successful.

On the third Saturday of each month Left Foot hosts volunteers in the morning to come out and help with farm work.  The farm then provides a hot lunch for volunteers and following lunch a workshop is put on to provide community members with farm  and social skills that are transferable to their everyday lives.

For the month of August workshop Left Foot Organics is present our own Farm Manager, Lydia Beth Leimbach, as she teaches the fine art of bouquet making.  Having specialized in growing and raising perennials, natives, and carnations, she will display her keen eye for creating an eye-catching arrangement.  Plan on taking your bouquet home with you!

The day begins at 10 o'clock for volunteers and lunch is served at noon!  Workshops typically begin around one o'clock.  Please come ready to work in the elements!
Left Foot Organics is located at 11122 Case Road SW, Olympia, 98512, just 3 miles from exit 99 off interstate 5.

On their next furlough day, many state workers won’t just be taking a day off. They’ll be giving a Day of Service.

The Thurston County Steering Committee of the Combined Fund Drive, teaming with the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties, is organizing a Day of Service cleanup event in downtown Olympia on August 6. They will be removing trash, digging weeds, and more to make downtown sparkle in the summer sun. All state employees – and all other interested volunteers – are invited to participate.

The idea first came from Valerie Pollet of the Medicaid Purchasing Administration at the Department of Social & Health Services. She said, “If this is affecting me and my coworkers in the pocketbook, and affecting the clients we serve, I wanted to do something to give back to the community. One thing led to another and this is the result.”

“The state employees involved are demonstrating that their commitment to public service remains strong even during difficult budget times,” said Sara Ballard, Executive Director of the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties. “The idea came from state employees, and the Volunteer Center is proud to help bring this project to life.”

Volunteers for the downtown cleanup should meet at the Heritage Park fountain, on 4th Avenue and Sylvester Street, at 9 AM. Participants are asked to bring their own gloves and plastic trash bags, and basic cleaning tools such as brooms if they can. For more information or to RSVP, call the Volunteer Center at 741-2622 or visit their website at www.volunteer.ws.

After the event, everyone is invited to come socialize and celebrate. From 2-5 PM, the Fish Bowl Brew Pub is offering half price pints of beer for participants.

On their next furlough day, many state workers won’t just be taking a day off. They’ll be giving a Day of Service.

The Thurston County Steering Committee of the Combined Fund Drive, teaming with the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties, is organizing a Day of Service cleanup event in downtown Olympia on August 6. They will be removing trash, digging weeds, and more to make downtown sparkle in the summer sun. All state employees – and all other interested volunteers – are invited to participate.

The idea first came from Valerie Pollet of the Medicaid Purchasing Administration at the Department of Social & Health Services. She said, “If this is affecting me and my coworkers in the pocketbook, and affecting the clients we serve, I wanted to do something to give back to the community. One thing led to another and this is the result.”

“The state employees involved are demonstrating that their commitment to public service remains strong even during difficult budget times,” said Sara Ballard, Executive Director of the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties. “The idea came from state employees, and the Volunteer Center is proud to help bring this project to life.”

Volunteers for the downtown cleanup should meet at the Heritage Park fountain, on 4th Avenue and Sylvester Street, at 9 AM. Participants are asked to bring their own gloves and plastic trash bags, and basic cleaning tools such as brooms if they can. For more information or to RSVP, call the Volunteer Center at 741-2622 or visit their website at www.volunteer.ws.

After the event, everyone is invited to come socialize and celebrate. From 2-5 PM, the Fish Bowl Brew Pub is offering half price pints of beer for participants.

Anyone interested in learning more about Left Foot Organics or about participating in the life of our farm is invited to the first OFFICIAL Left Foot Organics Volunteer Orientation on July 11 at 7:00 p.m.  This event will be hosted by the Volunteer Center located at 317 4th Ave E on the third floor in Downtown Olympia.  We hope this orientation will propel potential volunteers to join us in our mission to give people with disabilities and rural youth paid employment skills in selling quality organic produce! 

Left Foot Organics is a local nonprofit organization helping people with disabilities and rural youth to gain job and life skills while growing good food for their community. Now in its eighth year, Left Foot offers paid employment experience and is committed to provide the support each individual needs to overcome their challenges and be successful.

On the third Saturday of each month Left Foot hosts volunteers in the morning to come out and help with farm work.  The farm then provides a hot lunch for volunteers and following lunch a workshop is put on to provide community members with farm  and social skills that are transferable to their everyday lives.

The month of June workshop will feature Hugh Zars of Zarswerks.  Hugh will be teaching and giving hands-on advice about small engine maintenance and tractor repair.  Hugh is a new friend to the farm and has given his time and energy to making sure all our equipment is in tip-top shape.  He is a real expert with years of experience in engine repair and maintenance under his belt! 

The day begins at 10 o'clock for volunteers and lunch is served at noon!  Workshops typically begin around one o'clock.  Please come ready to work in the elements!

Left Foot Organics is located at 11122 Case Road SW, Olympia, 98512, just 3 miles from exit 99 off interstate 5.

Left Foot Organics is a local nonprofit organization helping people with intellectual disabilities and rural youth to gain job and life skills while growing good food for their community. Now in its eighth year, Left Foot offers paid employment experience and is committed to provide the support each individual needs to overcome their challenges and be successful.

On the third Saturday of each month Left Foot hosts volunteers in the morning to come out and help with farm work.  The farm then provides a hot lunch for volunteers and following lunch a workshop is put on to provide community members with farm  and social skills that are transferable to their everyday lives.

For the month of June workshop Left Foot Organics is excited to host Dominic Corriveau of Ewing Irrigation.  Ewing Irrigation is a landscape and irrigation specialist creating healthy, sustainable environments.  Dominic will be presenting about water management solutions, agronomic supplies, landscape lighting, water features, hardscape, and erosion control.