The last two years have been difficult, and many of us could use some uplifting news. Transition Sarasota’s Suncoast Gleaning Project is like a ray of sunshine in uncertain times. The mission for this community-driven nonprofit is to create solutions for our local food system.  

Our volunteers “rescue” unwanted produce by harvesting it from local farms and donating it to local food banks such as Food Bank of Manatee and All Faiths Food Bank. This food would otherwise have been left to rot in fields or dumped in a landfill. Instead this fresh, healthy, local food was able to nourish people in our community.  

Transition Sarasota was recently offered a grant from the George J. & Alice Pugh Donor Advised Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. This will enable us to expand our capacity to add new farms to glean produce from. We are excited for the opportunity to provide even more healthy food to our local community.  

Backyard fruit is rescued with volunteers from the Fruit Rescue Program, who harvest local fruit to donate to food pantries. Generous tree owners have contributed mangoes, bananas, and carambola this summer. As the importance of caring for our environment becomes more critical, projects like this which involve the whole community will continue to make a positive difference for both resilience and sustainability.  

For more information or to become more involved in this mission, call 941-702-2906, email [email protected] or visit TransitionSRQ.org.