Society of St. Andrew

I've been familiar with this nonprofit for over 33 years and love its mission and commitment to a world without hunger. Their unique and biblical approach to connecting people to a practical way to alleviate hunger and reduce food waste in the US is extraordinary. I have appreciated their faithful use of funds in this ministry which connects people to the work of food harvesting. The Society of St. Andrew is a life-changing opportunity both for people who desperately need the food as well as the people who are looking for a way to help those who are food insecure in their community.

We have been so humbled to work with this organization for the past two years to spread vegetable seeds around our community. This year, because of their support, we have been able to share over 200 packets of seeds to more than 75 individuals and families so far. We are excited about the opportunity to encourage our neighbors and friends to eat healthier by picking from their own backyards.

SOSA has influenced and blessed my ministry. I have received materials to help
move produce and directions on how to organize farm gleanings. My wife and I have ate dinner
with Sue Plummer, Alyson and Barb. Everyone is friendly and helpful. We are all old souls.
I am a member of the Lions club, Matthew25 and a Secular Franciscan. Sosa has
been instrumental in all my activities. Thank God for the Society of St. Andrews.

Blessings,
Rich L. Banichar

For more than 40 years the Society of St. Andrew has provided fresh, nutritious produce to feed America's hungry. Through a remarkable partnership of farmers, volunteers, churches and food distribution charities, it has done so with an unparalleled efficiency and effectiveness. As the founder of modern gleaning in our country (USDA), it continues to fulfill the words of Jesus to his disciples when faced with the famished multitude: "You give them something to eat" (Mark 6:37). It is the only miracle to be recorded in all four gospels. And through the Society of St. Andrew, the miracle continues!

I first learned of the society at my UMC annual conference and was fascinated with idea of saving and using produce not bound for the retail markets. By attending a gleaning and later leading a gleaning event, I was totally hooked. The pure simplicity of the concept, the amazingly low operating expenses and the low expense of reaching out to other people keeps me as a monthly donor.

This SoSA is a wonderful organization that helps educate others about the food needs of others, and holds volunteer-led events to glean the left-over produce in the fields; provides food and groceries to those in need; and has a far-reaching network across the States. Thank you for your hard work and persistence, in the name of Jesus Christ! Amen!

SOSA is an excellent source of food for those who need it. They gather volunteers and resources such as trucks to glean crops and distribute them to food service organizations. The Society manages all their resources exceptionally well. I know many who have served as gleaners and managers of the projects.

I found SoSA several years ago when I was looking for vacation Bible school materials. They had two years and both were interesting and everything you needed was included (of course, with the exception of a few items you needed to gather locally). The best part? It was all free. I was so impressed I started learning more about what the Society of St Andrew was about and how they serve communities and those who are hungry. and I began to use other materials provided by their organization. I think so much of their mission that I still support them with a monthly gift. Their work is so important!

I've gleaned apples, sweet corn, strawberries and more. I unloaded semi-truck loads of boxed food during the pandemic, and drove a tractor to unload pallets of apples. I've appealed to vendors at our downtown farmer's market, and taken food to several different food pantries.
SoSA is the means by which thousands of pounds of food get distributed which might well have been plowed under, sent to compost or left to rot.
Thanks, SoSA, Indiana, for making possible the connection between farmers, market vendors, grocery stores and food pantries!

I enjoyed gleaning through the St. Andrew's program before the pandemic. I am anxious to begin this important work again soon. I'm looking for an area in Richland or Lexington County South Carolina

Provides great opportunities for gleaning to get food to those in need through shelters.

We are Veterans Employment Base Camp and Organic Garden and we provide food assistance to underserved veterans in eastern NC. They are so awesome to work with. Very professional and helpful. Quick with their response time for questions and directions. We have enjoyed our partnership.

Society of St. Andrew's has used a simple approach to ending hunger that helps both farmers and those in need of nutritious food. This ancient Biblically based approach works well in today's world. SOSA is run efficiently and is well organized with an extensive cadre of volunteers to make this happen. We have donated to this charity for decades and have always been pleased with their organization and approach.

Our 501c3 org., ACTS Missions of NC, has been partnering with SoSA for 5 years now. Maria Gandy always calls me when any produce or food is available in our area for us to pass on to those in need.
It is really a great partnership working with SoSA!

Wonderful experience at Gorman Heritage Farm in southwest Ohio. We gleaned farm fresh carrots and greens. Great people. Warm hearts.

I have been gleaning and supported SOSA for many years! I have seen first hand the edible food that they rescue and give to folks who are challenged everyday to put food on the table. I have gleaned food from major grocery stores, and rescued peaches and apples that might not have been eaten had we not had a group from SOSA getting those fruits to less fortunate folks! They are a great nonprofit to invest your time and money in to help feed and prevent waste.

Very organized and efficient organization. Consistent communication regarding their mission and objectives combined with good storytelling. Lots of well-planned opportunities for volunteers.

It is another awesome way to give back to a community that needs it. Food gathered for good purposes of distribution for those in need is so much better than it is rotting in the fields or on the vine. It also gives a volunteer a healthy experience over just sitting at a telephone somewhere.

Super nice folks to help with a potato drop or Advent/Lent daily studies. Our 15 year old son who we lost in a car accident loved working with them so we continue to donate in his memory.

We have partnered with the Society of St. Andrew for the past 8 years and they are a true blessing to the communities we serve. We could not do it with out them and they are an AMAZING partner and always willing to help West Jackson and JSU. Thank you.

I have volunteered with SOSA for many years. They are true to their mission, very lean in terms of staff and fundraising, and are making permanent improvements in the places they work. I highly recommend them.

This is the second year I have worked with the Society of St. Andrew/Indianapolis and it has been a great experience! Leaders for it are top notch. I have worked with them in gleaning and also in pickup of produce to distribute to our local food pantries and homeless areas. They have been an asset to our community for those experiencing food insufficiency. Grateful for our relationship.

The Society of St Andrew is a charity that can literally get in People's Faces!
How? By providing nutrition through the food and crop gleanings which reach hundreds and thousands of people needing this sustenance. And a blessing goes to everyone who participates in the gleanings, the packing and distribution of these natural gifts. And of course the joy continues to all those who help financially. God bless them all!

Our organization of United Methodist Men has partnered with SoSA for over 10 years in delivering tractor trailer loads of potatoes to service organizations and food pantries in our local communities. Our requests have always been met and received with great care and support.

My brother introduced me to SoSA many years ago and I have been a faithful follower and admirer ever since! The work they do is grassroots and Faith based, depending on volunteers for the most part, of which they do a beautiful job of coordinating to glean, gather and distribute!
Their work is greatly admired, and my friends are always in awe of this organization! Their territory is growing and the sharing of food is so needed in this country today!
Great job!! My deepest appreciation for all that SoSA represents and gets done!!

When I give to SoSA, I know that my gifts make a difference--that food gets to those who need it instead of being wasted. My friends have a hard time believing the impact that even modest gifts can make!

I have been on this site for only about a year now, and each time I visit the site, I feel blessed and leave knowing that someone 'out there' is praying for me and many other needy persons like myself! May God continue to bless all who serve in this Organization.

SoSA is a great organization to work with. A Few years ago I had a surplus of pears on my "hobby" farm and they sent some kind folks over right away and gleaned 150 lbs. of fruit. This was a small quantity to be bothered with but they came and did a great job even notifying me afterwards how the produce was used.
Since then I have only been able to contribute financially but this is a well run charity that is worth your money, time or food surplus.

I want my donations to be used effectively and no non-profit does that better than Society of St. Andrew. When I see the food that is being saved from fields, food sent to food banks, food being served to the hungry, I know Society of St. Andrew is using my donations wisely. I like how they involve churches, youth groups and other volunteers to glean the fields to save good food.

Society of St. Andrew,for years, have worked hard to feed hungry food and cut down on food waste. Also, they produce Advent and Lent resources to provide spiritual food. These are great people who need and deserve our help.

I 1st learned of SoSA while visiting family in Coleman Falls, VA and passed by the Big Island site. So, we support, from a distance, and appreciate all the updates, following those who serve field and recipients-wise. Hoping to utilize the VBS materials at some point.

Friendly encouraging organizer and leader in the field. Working with St. Andrews allowed me to be a blessing to the hungry in Davidson County. The farmer who allowed us on his property was very
encouraging and support the work were doing.

Great organization doing great work. Have followed their work for 34 years.

Society of St. Andrew has been consistent and proactive in its outreach to helping our community work toward its goal of proving food security.

I have been a supporter of SSA both personally and through my church for many years. We have enjoyed the written devotional they provide and love the fact that our support helps to feed the hungry.

Finally an organization that works on reducing food waste by sharing with those who need it!! I highly recommend you supporting them. Also check out their Christmas card deal. It is great.

Our church's gleaning efforts with SoSA have resulted in approx. 61,000 lbs. of fruits and vegetable for area food banks in the eight years we've been working together. The SoSA link is our lifeline in an area with many so-called food deserts.

Society of St. Andrew is truly a gift from God to so many people through their important ministries. From gleaning fields which provides much needed food to their Lenten and Advent daily devotions helps us all to remember we are in this life together. Thank you SOSA for all you do!

SoSA does a great job of getting food that would otherwise go to waste into the hands of those who need it. They develop highly effective relationships with growers, bakers, restaurants, and other food-related charities to create a powerful team. As a volunteer, my time and efforts are meaningfully appreciated, and my input clearly valued. I've been on the volunteer and organizer sides for a number of non-profits, and this is one of the better run organizations I've had contact with. I'm proud and happy to be able to support their efforts.

The Society of St. Andrew is a wonderful non-profit organization that has far-reaching impacts on local communities. They offer so many opportunities and ways to help with providing methods to meet the basic need of food for the hungry right here at home. Whether I am in my home state of VA or my second home state of FL, SOSA is there, working to help those in need.

Our family has supported SOSA for many years. Thirty years ago, when our daughter was in our church youth group, they participated in the SOSA gleaning program. What a wonderful impact that made on those youth! Many lessons were learned through that opportunity, which instilled in them an awareness of the needs of others, the importance and effectiveness of teamwork, the realization that others may not be as fortunate, and a willingness to help those in need. They also became more aware of ways available to make our world a better place.

I love the donation cards that are available to send in honor of, or in memory of people; also, the annual Christmas card which enables us to send cards to those we love and make a donation for the hungry at the same time. They are gifts that keep on giving.

Thank you, SOSA for helping us to help others!

Amazing group working to end hunger and food waste by engaging people at a community level.

I have partnered with SoSA TN on multiple projects working with another nonprofit and my business. They are always excited to partner to reduce food waste and support in any way they can. We've worked together on school food waste audits, festival food rescue, delivering educational workshops, and roundtable discussions to move forward sustainability in Tennessee.

SoSA is an exceptional organization. It took a good idea for feeding the hungry and brought it to life. They have enabled our church to do several potato drops, participate in a thriving gleaning program, provided excellent Advent and Lenten devotionals and collected funds to keep the program going!

Over the past nine years, Society of St Andrew has provided the churches I served as Pastor with exceptional devotionals around Lent and Advent that help us focus outside of ourselves towards helping others.

We have been blessed to support the work of Society of St Andrews through the years. This fall, we hope to go on our first mission experience with them. They lead teams to pick up fruit and vegetables that farmers are not able to sell and carry them to local food pantries and people in need.

I highly recommend their devotionals and supporting the important work they are doing.

One of the best of the best. We have supported and participated in numerous projects for more than 25 years. It is very rewarding to glean the fields and see how much you can provide to families in need. We also work at a food pantry/distribution site and have seen the benefits of potato drops and other veggies literally being picked up by families. This is by far one of the best charities anyone could support-everything goes from generous farmers to hungry families.

I live too far away to physically work in their fields to gather the beneficial source of food that is distributed to food banks, food pantries and their immediate community.
However I contribute funds as I am able, to help provide whatever is needed to help distribute these resources to where they are needed.
SoSA is a vital and needed resource in ending hunger in regions far and wide not just their immediate vicinity. Volunteers are needed in all locations where SoSA is continually doing God's work to help in feeding the hungry.

By connecting lots of ordinary people with farmers willing to have their fields "gleaned" of produce which otherwise might go to waste, the Society of Saint Andrew is fulfilling in modern times an ancient biblical mandate in a marvelous way!

Society of St. Andrew is a great non profit organization, Society of St. Andrews have fed millions of people and kept millions from starving. I am proud to be associated with this organization and may God continue to bless those who work so hard in the gleaning process. I am 83 years old and I will continue to glean the fields as long as God give me health and strength.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoy our volunteer work for the Society of St. Andrews. The society has arranged for us to approach vendors at an Indianapolis downtown farmer’s market to request donations of any unsold fruit and vegetables. As a result, on many days we have collected as much as 200 lbs. of fresh produce which we then deliver to the Wheeler Mission - an Indianapolis organization serving the needs of the homeless. We’ve found the Society of St. Andrews to be a well organized, efficient and truly caring mission that it is a privilege to volunteer for.

SoSA understands their mission, and makes my time volunteering all about accomplishing that mission, by providing detailed directions, schedules, and instructions, and not getting lost in finding out what I’m supposed to be doing.

Sosa is the whole package. Not just a place to drop a monetary donation, put to also roll up your sleeves and be an active participant in making a difference.

It is great to give to those in need. I met so many wonderful people in the fields and was able to share with the people near my church.

Society of St. Andrew is the logistical backbone that enables all the farmers, ranchers, fisherman, orchard growers..(any that raise/grow/ catch food) to obey God!

God instructs us to NOT reap all our harvest but to leave some for the poor and the foreigner!

Thanks to all those involved! Praise God!

I served as VP of the Southeast Produce Council and saw first hand the benefits of our being associated with SOSA. In addition to their hardworking volunteers gleaning the fields across the country; I saw first hand the difference they made throughout the Southeast. I saw the expression on the families in Martin County, KY brighten when they came to the food bank and received a variety of produce to take home. I've also served on the SOSA Board and seen how careful they are with spending money within the office. How this organization attracted so many like hearted kind people I don't know. Each one is emotionally invested in what they do. When our growers have excess produce they are instrumental in arranging transportation (trucks) to get the produce to families that need it. I am so impressed with the leadership of this organization.

SoSA is the best on so many levels. In Central Florida Kelly has always been great. When she moved up, there were some big boots to fill, and Rebecca has certainly done that! She is always seeing and recognizing the best in every volunteer. SoSA is well organized so volunteers can always check on volunteer opportunities in their area. And as part of the nonprofit the Picnic Project we are always so grateful to bring produce we have gleaned back to our community for distribution. SoSA is equitable when portioning off what vegetables/fruits get distributed where.

SoSa serves the community at-large beautifully meeting the many needs related to food insecurity. I have participated in gleaning and it was well organized.

I give SOSA a double thumbs up, for all they do. I pastor a two point charge and work a secular job eight to ten hours a day. I know what hard work is, I appreciate all the work you do, you make my work a little easier and that means a lot to me. Thank you.

Jesus said- "Peter, feed my sheep." Peter replied-"Ok Lord but I hope they like broccoli!. That is my running thought when I am in a field gleaning with Society of Saint Andrew. I feel like I am living the commandment to serve my neighbor. Especially when deep in a Florida broccoli field. Beyond donating money (which is important), SOSA allows me to put part of me into my donation- my time and my sweat to help feed people. Food banks are wonderful but people need more than mac and cheese- we need to provide healthy fresh food- SOSA is my favorite community outreach project. Dirty tired and happy! That's a great day in the field with SOSA!

Had a wonderful interaction with SoSA. They do great work gleaning bypassed food from the fields and coordinate its distribution to feed the needy. Truly a blessing of an organization addressing a growing need.

The SoSA is a very helpful non profit organization that allows hungry people to eat fresh vegetables. They are doing a great work that helps people that are in need of nutrition. We appreciate the Society for the love and caring for people. So let's continue to support them in feeding the hungry people of North Carolina. I love going out to gleam. Every little bit helps someone. This is a very special program that shows much love.

When growing up on a farm in Iowa, my brother and I gleaned --not knowing the word but realizing that the pickup full of corn left in the fields would help pay for one night's break in a motel during our more affordable camping vacation--and the motel had to have a pool. We grew up differing on many political and social issues, but, just as our farm background unites us, we both support the Society of St. Andrew. We are following the Biblical commandment, we are honoring the role farmers play in our society, and we are helping those less fortunate. We cannot think of a better way to help those around us.

Great group of volunteers- well organized gleaning events get the fresh produce to those in need.

I love that so much food is redirected to people that benefit from receiving fresh produce.

St Andrew has been tremendous in supporting the local community gardens. It has allowed the gardens to give back with produce grown from your donations of seeds and plants.

I have volunteered with SOSA for over 20 years. They coordinate farmers, volunteers, drivers, churches, food pantries, and other organizations to receive fresh produce. This is a great way to distribute fresh produce to those who are food insecure and keep good fresh food from being wasted. It’s always fun to work with like minded individuals and make new friends.

I love what SoSa does for our community in bringing fresh food into all parts of Florida. I have young and adult children and we can all help out as a family which is the best part. We can do this project as a group or with just our family, either way, it feels like we are all making a difference when we are out in the field.

Thank God for all the people who work and give of themselves to make SOSA successful in helping relieve the food/hunger crisis that we have in so many sectors of our country.

SoSA is such a worthwhile organization designed the help put food on the table to many that are struggling.

Sosa has been a wonderful help and partner since early 2020 for our church. They not only assisted in getting us food to distribute, they educated us about food distribution and introduced our church to gleaning. Thank you to Kelley and Katie from Kathy Mayers and First Pres Fort Lauderdale

Every gleaning I have been to is very organized. I only have a small community vegetable stand to fill . I often have enough produce for 3-4 days.

Our church used Advent and Lent booklets during Covid 19.
We contributed to food ministry
In return. Excellent resource.

I have been in the fields for many years with the most amazing gleaners, farmers, and supervisors a person could ever want to meet! I'm a grateful for the opportunity to serve the community and make such a difference. I come home from each event knowing I have made a difference and my soul is refreshed at each event by the amazing people with which I work! Thank you to Jean Siers and Maria for their continuing organizational efforts!

I am truly Blessed each time I Glean with The Society of St. Andrew. Meeting new friends, preventing food waste and feeding people in need. It does note get better.

Good people show up time and time again to glean fields for nutritious food, which is distributed to those in need. Just a lovely group of people volunteering.

I have used the devotions for years from The Society of St. Andrew. One of my friends has gone to Virginia to help with gleaning. The work they do is so important because of the food deserts that exist. Even though I live in a rural area with many farmers, the produce is not always affordable for a lot of families. SOSA does so much to let people know how and where gleaning is available. The amount of produce they can glean is incredible.

A better organization cannot be found regarding their mission of sourcing and distributing healthy food to those in need. They are good stewards of both their monetary collections as well as with finding crops that would have been left unharvested. I am a longtime proud supporter and will faithfully continue to proclaim their message of hope in a struggling world.

Extremely creative ways to allow volunteers to reach out to others through programs such as those for World Food Day: Adopt a Bushel and Simple Supper. Very responsive and responsible to donors. As volunteers glean fields of crops that have been donated by farmers, overhead is very low and it feels like every bit is going to feed the hungry.

SOSA was and has been incredible to work with. St. Stephen, Martyr Catholic Church youth ministry program has worked with them over the past 3 years. They are always very organized and helpful when setting up gleaning trips for us as a summer trip! It's always one of our biggest group events of the year and the teens really look forward to it! Thank you Society of St. Andrew for your efforts and organizing these great events!

~Ashley Weaver
Director of Youth Ministry
St. Stephen, Martyr Catholic Church
Chesapeake, VA

I became aware of Society of St. Andrew as a pastor on the Farmville District, VA United Methodist Church in 2004. I have gleaned a number of times and enjoy donating financially. I can be sure the money is gong for feeding people in need. I trust this ministry.

For years Bethel UMC Jr. High Youth group attended a weekend gleaning mission camp. We not only go into the fields to glean (usually potatoes), but our youth also learn valuable lessons about what it's like for people who live with daily food insecurity. They are also challenged to think of ways to make a difference in their own homes and community. Though we didn't participate in any gleaning events during the pandemic, we can't wait to go back next year.

I was first introduced to gleaning during Bible study, specifically the Old Testament book of Leviticus 23:22, "When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord you God." This was new to me when we studied it but it stuck with me and not too long afterwards a friend told me about the Society of St. Andrew and the work that they do to feed the hungry.Coincidence, maybe.

I contacted the Society of St Andrew and began to participate in the sweet potato gleaning in the Fall. Then introduced this to my Sunday school class as a mission project. We have enjoyed this so much and have helped the Western Wake Crisis Center as they offer assistance to families in need in our area.

I then became more involved in gleanings during the year, recently green beans and corn. I can only say there is nothing like it for me. To be able to help fill such a basic need as food and to see the immediate results of your work is life changing. We come together from all walks of life. We are very diverse and yet we are all the same, people helping people. Love in action! There's nothing like being in a field of sweet potatoes, digging in the dirt for buried treasure to feed others and knowing that your reward is your ability to help. Your just have to be there!!

Thank God for the farmers who are willing to share their harvest and for the volunteers and especially for the Society of St. Andrew for being the hands and feet on the ground.

It has been a blessing to volunteer with Society of St. Andrew, to help others with the food hunger issue by directly harvesting crops. It was especially fulfilling delivering the crops to the food pantries. I have enjoyed working with our friendly coordinator, Sue.

I have been supporting this organization for several years. I was initially attracted to their work of gleaning in order to help support those in need. I believe this work as is relevant today as ever!

Society of St Andrew (SoSA) is an effective hunger relief organization with a realistic, achievable mission: harvest surplus food and share it (for free) with hungry people. Environmentally friendly, SoSA reduces emissions of methane gas into the atmosphere caused by food waste. Using volunteer labor resulting in low overhead expenses, SoSA truly is a common sense solution to social problems of hunger, food waste and climate change!

Society of St. Andrew has been a blessing to our three Service Centers in Calhoun County Alabama over the years. The fresh vegetables we received were able to go to low income families in our area. Delicious sweet potatoes are what we have received on several occasions. We hope to continue to receive these healthy and nutritious vegetables in the future. Thank you Society of St. Andrew for all you do to help others!

I have been helping with the Society of St. Andrew in Virginia's northern Shenandoah Valley for close to 30 years now. SoSA has been wonderful community partner to many food banks in our area as well as in Loudoun County, Alexandria, Arlington, Washington DC and Page County. Many hungry people are blessed by SoSA's gleaning efforts to provide nourishing fresh produce. Their partnership with area farmers and orchardists are making a difference in our community. In these days of equity and inclusion, I can honestly say that SoSA has always been an organization that worked to help anyone who was hungry, regardless of any societal labels that are placed on people. SoSA has blessed my life by allowing me to be a part of their tremendous work in feeding the hungry.

Our church, Walker United Methodist, has raised money for Society of St. Andrew for many years. We do this by buying their Christmas cards to send to friends as a donation and by putting money in banks to remember those who struggle with hunger during Lent and Advent. We also use their devotional booklets during Lent and Advent. Their Executive Director, Lynette Johnson, came to our small church in Iowa and spoke to the congregation and thanked them for the support they have given for several decades. We are able to read about all the wonderful volunteers and the people that are helped by our donations.

I've been a supporter of the Society of St. Andrew for decades. What can make more sense than to save perfectly good food and distribute it to those who need it? The farmers who donate what they can't sell, the gleaners who collect it, those who transport and unload it, and those who distribute it form a chain of caring across this land. We need this kind of common-sense caring more than ever. SOSA embodies it!

We have supported SOSA for years through various churches we have served. This last year and a half it has seemed even more crucial to support this wonderful ministry since so many people have been food insecure as a result of the pandemic. We love the gleaning aspect of this ministry. We cannot participate directly by gleaning or growing but we give all we can and encourage others to do so through my husband's ministry. We look forward to the newsletters with all the latest ways food has been saved from waste and given to God's children in need. What a blessing to be part of this work!

On a cold damp day, I joined a team from my church to pick cabbages for a donation to our area food bank, with SOSA. I didn't know what to expect. We had some experienced harvesters with us from the farm, at least 2 farmers and SOSA staff members helping as well. Most of us volunteers had never picked much of anything other than from a small home garden. This was hard work, but as my hands, back, legs and shoulders ached, I kept thinking of how much I loved cooked cabbage and slaw and how much I hoped that the recipients would enjoy the cabbage as a fresh addition to the meals they would put together from the food bank offerings and whatever else they had. At the end of the day (and the next), my sore muscles reminded me that we had done a good thing for our community.

The Society of St. Andrew is my favorite non-profit organization. During my more than 40 years as a pastor I have been involved in various ways with food pantries and even helped to get a new community food pantry started. In retirement I am volunteering one day a week with a different community food pantry. I have a degree in art and have used art in my pastoral ministry and in community organizations for many years. In 2018 I was invited to create an original painting for SoSA to use as an Alternative Christmas Card for fund-raising purposes. This is now the fourth year that I have donated an original work for this worthy cause. I am grateful to be able to use my truly God-given gift to provide for millions of servings of food over the past three years. I whole-heartedly encourage supporting the work of the Society of St. Andrew in their efforts to end hunger now.

I've prayed about ways I can serve the Lord. The answer is supporting nonprofits. I don't have a vehicle, this is the best way I can help.

The Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) helps our brothers and sisters in the community by harvesting produce left in fields and orchards after commercial harvesting. This organization is right in line with one of my personal philosophies: "think globally, act locally". They help reduce food waste and get the food to people who need it. SoSA is great!

I have donated and volunteered with Society of St. Andrew for years and have never met a more Godly group of people dedicated to helping others.

They provide us with fresh sweet potatoes. The potatoes are enjoyed by many in our area. We appreciate the friendliness and compassion of Society of St. Andrew for those who are in need.

We love working with Society of St. Andrew they help us with a variety of material for our church congregation on hunger. So many people are food insecure and embarassed about asking for assistance and do not want to answer all the personal question at the Food Stamp Office. These materials let them know that they are not alone and we are happy to pass them along.
Maudine Holloway, Executive Director Community Enabler Anniston, Alabama

At this writing Society of St Andrew Indiana is a little over a year old. During that time, Ann and Dawn have built up a large network of farms and volunteers and compiled a database of food pantries, banks and kitchens that spans the whole state. I have gleaned apples and cucumbers and researched farms in northern Indiana. I love that the Society is working as a middleman-we own no trucks or warehouses- but bring together the right people and equipment to move excess or cosmetically blemished produce to hungry people.

SoSA came to the rescue when we needed sweet potatoes to prepare and serve at our Community Ministries at my church, Highland United Methodist in Birmingham,AL. I was impressed by the Volunteer who met me with a large delivery. Before that time I was unaware of the gleaning of farms that is being done by a super dedicated group of people! Thank you for your much needed service to all! Fran Hopkins

SOCA helps our food pantry so much in providing fresh produce to our ministry. We are grateful for this organization and look forward to working with them in the future.

I love working with the Society of St Andrew because it connects me with the hunger issues of our country. I have been able to peel back the blinders & learn how many of our brothers & sisters struggle with food insecurity. SoSA is a great organization that connects food with the hungry in the best ways possible. They work directly with farmers and food ministries & never charge or make people "verify" that they need the food. It amazes me every year to see how much food is redeemed in this country. There truly is enough food! We just have to put forth the time, effort & money to help save it!

Society of St. Andrew employees are passionate, kind, good hearted people who do God's work each and every day. The overhead is very very minimal compared to other non-profits and yet the employees remain passionate about what they are doing and find ways to do what is necessary on a dime. Great stewards of the money that is donated, they also ensure they are being great stewards of the environment - keeping left over produce in the fields from going to the dump and later creating methane gas which is very very bad for the environment, trapping heat to our planet. A big thanks to all of the SoSA employees who work to keep this modest yet healthy organization going year after year. Happy 40th anniversary!

SoSA shares abundance. There is more than enough food to feed those who are food insecure and the work of SoSA gets the food from the fields to the those who need it. I am a monthly donor and very happy to support the work of sharing abundance!

Growing up, I would occasionally hear about "potato drops" and see pictures of great big piles of potatoes... But I was never involved in any of it.

Now that I'm older and working, it's a privilege to donate to SoSA. Every time I make a donation, I am confident that my dollars are used wisely. It's a comfort knowing that I'm actually making a difference in the lives of my neighbors, friends, and community.

I have three most favorite parts about SoSA. The first is that there are no requirements for people and agencies to be able to receive food that's available. No one is required to verify income or explain their situation or make excuses. They're simply invited to share and take what's needed.

The second part I love so much is the diligent financial management exercised by everyone in the organization. The entire team, across the nation, demonstrate a commitment to using all funds as wisely as possible. That dedication is how they keep the overhead so incredibly low.

The third part is getting to recruit other people into the mission who want to make a difference in their communities or for the environment or in the mission to end hunger. It's such a joy to explain SoSA to a person who's interested in learning more and seeing them become excited and passionate about the mission and diving in head first to give, serve, and share.

This is my second year working as a volunteer for the Reuters YMCA doing gleaning directed by Deidre in the Asheville area. This organization has a great staff and Deidre is very organized and committed to her volunteers. I have helped with several special projects for school children at Mills River Farms and it has been a joy watching these youngsters learn about farming and how to be good stewards of our land. So much is shared when we all work to help those that are less fortunate than ourselves. Thank you Society of St. Andrew for being there and providing me with the opportunity to help others. Sandy Arnold

We could not adequately meet the need in Western North Carolina without the help of Society of St. Andrew. They open doors to thousands of pounds of wonderful healthy foods for our neighbors who need food support. Our volunteers enjoy the gleaning events and look forward to the experiences. They are always well organized and yield more than we had expected. I can't thank Deidre Duffy and her team enough for all they do. It's a true blessing for this community to have Society of St. Andrew among us.
Bruce Ganger
Executive Director
Bounty & Soul
www.bountyandsoul.org

SOSA is such a blessing to the folks in middle Tennessee. We have gleaned with them and they care so much about getting the best products they can get to the places that need them most. Kelsey Miller has been great communicating with us about where and when we can glean and the best places in need of help feeding hungry residents.

SoSA accomplishes more with their funds than any other organization I know. Getting food to food banks is one thing wonderful, but they also incorporate so many learning experiences with gleaning, VBS materials, Advent and Lenten devotion materials, and I love their every year unique donation Christmas cards.

SoSA feeds the hungry around this country by gleaning nutritious, delicious food from the fields and transporting the food to food banks and agencies - volunteer gleaners keep food from spoiling in the fields, and food insecure individuals & families benefit from the fresh, nutritious fruits & vegetables! A win-win!!!

I have been a volunteer trucker since 1992. Been many miles (over 200,000) and to dozens of farms and produce houses. have meet hundreds of people and meet new ones each year. have worked for several co-ordinators and some of them are now gleaner volunteers. The S.O.S.A. workers/volunteers are dedicated to helping feed the needy. thankfully the world is full of these people.
Bill Parsons

Sosa has an amazing gleaning program. I love the friendly environment. I also appreciate that they take care of the waivers and organization of each project. They make it very easy to get fresh produce to our region through our food ministry.

SOSA is a well run critical need nonprofit. They address hunger with an ingenious strategy of gleaning. SOSA reminds us of hunger in America and how, food that used to be wasted, can now be used to help. I love the mission, the education offered and the involvement in community.

Gleaning for the Salvation Army at the Eastchase Farmers Market is a blessing to all involved-the group that receives the food this season, the Salvation Army, the venders that donate, and the volunteers that gather the donations, weigh the produce, and record the results. It's a joy to see the venders sharing the fruits of their labors with those less fortunate. They seem proud when we thanked them for their generosity. It's a blessing to those of us who glean to facilitate getting healthy foods to those in need. We send our prayers along with the food.

Your help is needed. As the Area Coordinator for Northeast Florida two of the biggest challenges I face is not knowing where all the citrus and produce is located that is going to waste; and having the volunteers to harvest that produce. We need your hands and your eyes to help reduce hunger in this country. Please help

The Society of Saint Andrew provides nourishing, fresh food to help feed the hungry. This is one of the best projects I have ever been involved in.

SOSA is gleaning the Eastchase Farmers Market in our city every Saturday from May - October. We have very generous farmers helping a non-profit feed their residents and provide vegetables for Meals on Wheels. A great group to work with!

Our church had a wonderful experience gleaning with Society of St Andrew in TN. The work was meaningful and folks of all ages and abilities felt their role was valued. Sponsoring a green bean drop or a sweet potato drop is next on our agenda.

The Society of St. Andrew does an excellent job of rescuing fresh fruit and vegetables from the fields and getting it to people who need it.

WOW! Fresh produce direct from growing fields provided free to people at risk of hunger is a commodity they seldom have the benefit of receiving. And the number of charities, regardless of their mission, that perform as effectively and financially responsibly as the Society of St. Andrew are very few and very far between. The thousands of people of all ages and walks of life who volunteer their time and energy to glean this food from fields are so desirous of and dedicated to helping those in need that they often volunteer time and time again, year after year. The Society of St. Andrew, with their Gleaning Network, Potatoe and Produce Project and educational Harvest of Hope program, is the leader in hunger relief with fresh produce. This charity is more than worth supporting both with volunteer hours and financial donations.

In a world of excess and waste, the Society of St. Andrew works to repurpose food that would have gone to waste and provide nutrition for people in need. We all have much to give, let's not waste perfectly good food.

When we think of hunger we often think about those who do not have enough food. We seldom think of all the food that is available, but just not in the right place. We don't have a hunger problem, we have a distribution problem. Getting food from any source availble and then getting it to the hungry is what SOA is all about. Having first hand experience working with SOA potato delivery in the Toledo Ohio area, gleaning fields that have an abundance of produce, and using SOA's Vaction Bible School free curriculum to teach kids about hunger, collecting coins in their hunger boxes, has led me to believe in the work that SOA does. If you are looking for a charity to support this is the one.

This organization is amazing! Our church has supported them for many years and cannot think of a better group to donate to.

Society of St. Andrew does a great job in gleaning and donating the produce to food pantries to be distributed to persons who otherwise wouldn't have fresh produce.

Well-organized and a great organization to volunteer with whether as adults or families with kids! We have gleaned for sweet potatoes, strawberries and kale so far! An easy 2-3 hours on a Saturday morning and you really feel like you've made a difference (and you and your kids know the work it takes to harvest food!) Get on the email list to be notified of upcoming opportunities in your area, or join them for big events like the Yam Jam in the fall. It's an all around great experience!

There is no better warrior to end hunger than The Society of St. Andrew. They take fresh produce, gleaned from the fields or donated by farmers and farmer's markets and see that it is distributed to people in need. Nearly 100% of their funds are used to this end. They are the best!!!

Society of St. Andrew does some wonderful work. All of this work is done while using only a small percentage of their money for administration.

My experience has been at Annual Conference in VA. the potatoes are unloaded and bagged to the food banks in the local area.
In a Children's Day Camp the Society propped off bags of potatoes to be dumped on the lawn at Drummondtown UMC in Accomac VA for the children to bag and deliver to the Local Easter Shore Food Bank.

Aside from their superlative efficiency with the money I donate, I especially like this charity because they accept no government funds.

Although I am not able to volunteer, I am able to donate funds each month to SOSA. It has been one of our greatest joys to be able to say we helped. It is a great organization and being from Big Island I can say that with all sincerity. Keep up the good work!!

Great charity that fights hunger by gleaning unharvested food from farmers. Please donate to this wonderful organization! :-)

The Society of Saint Andrew is doing a phenomenal job bringing together two different groups in need -- farmers who have an excess of produce or produce they are unable to harvest and those in need and hungry. Working with individuals, organizations, and churches, they are able to harvest and distribute amazing amounts of food that would otherwise go to waste. Always happy to support their efforts.

I have helped glean corn. It was very rewarding. I plan to help whenever possible that an old 63 yr old granny can help. Love doing the Lord's work. Remember..... Unto the least of these, it was also done for Him. Steam ahead SoSA.

God's Hands & Feet Global Ministry has been blessed by the ministry of the Society of St Andrew their Advent & Lenten Devotionals and also the Vacation Bible School materials that they freely provide are spiritual food for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Society of St. Andrew nonprofit ministry also provides a powerful witness for Christ with their gleaning ministry that feeds many who are hungry! In addition to supporting SOSA financially we also do so spiritually interceding on behalf of all those who've put their hand to the plow in order to serve the people of God in this great way! During our Annual Easter Basket Blessing we placed a SOSA Lenten Devotional and Coin-box in each basket.

Very cost effective and dedicated to help distribute produce to those who can't afford it or don't have access to fresh produce.
A great place to volunteer if you want to make a difference in someone's life and save nutritious food that would be left to rot in the fields. or put into a landfill.

This 30-year-old non-sectarian national hunger relief agency distributes fresh produce and a wide variety of other healthy foods to a wide variety of frugal community agencies nationwide.
It recruits volunteers to glean quality produce directly at farms and orchards, as well as food donations from a variety of food vendors, thereby salvaging much food that otherwise would be wasted!
It has grown steadily over 30 years in the quantity and quality of donated food distributed and the number of volunteers of all ages.
It also has programs educating teens and all ages in causes of and solutions to hunger in America and worldwide.
Its overhead costs are under 8% - excellent in comparison to many other worthy charities!
I have personally supported its healthy food gathering and distribution throughout its 30-plus years, and have been continually blessed by being a blessing to so many of the hungry in this way!

The Society of St. Andrew has helped feed thousands of people who would otherwise go hungry. Time and time again SofSA reaches out to those in need. God bless the Society of St. Andrew.

Although I have not attended any of their gleanings or distribution events, I have supported them monetarily for many years. I have also encouraged many of my fellow church members to donate to SOSA to get more "bang for their buck."

love that SoSA helps with the basic needs of people....supplying food.

They use the money we've raised and sent them to feed way more people than we ever could on our own. They make use of everything and every opportunity!

So much food is left in the fields after harvest! Thank God for the wonderful farmers, volunteers and leaders that make it possible for all that food to go from the farm to the mouths of hungry children and adults! This is such a cool organization - and one of the few that are a great fit for a family with little children to be involved in serving. What a joy it is for children to run through the field harvesting sweet potatoes (or other crops), knowing that their hard work is feeding other children! It's a wonderful way to teach service, charity and compassion to even the youngest child! Keep up the good work SoSa!

I have gleaned with Society of St. Andrews for about 6 years. I believe in their mission to help get good, nutritious fruits and vegetables (which would normally be disposed of) to people who are in need. Many foods donated to food banks are high in carbs, over processed, and high in sodium. America needs a diet with fresh apples, green beans, egg plants, tomatoes, turnips, pumpkins-- All of which I have gleaned through SOSA here in Virginia

I spent a weekend, along with a half dozen members of my church, gleaning vegetable fields on John's Island in South Carolina, while bunking in migrant worker's quarters. After working in the fields all day we met with the SOSA organizers to learn about the extent of poverty and hunger in this country. It was a consciousness raising experience for all of us and the following spring our church planted a hunger garden and contributed about three thousand pounds of food to local food banks. SoSA provides a great service to hungry people.

These guys do the most incredible job of matching need with an excess of supply. They provide through the gleaning network and many volunteers the means for good but excess produce to reach those who need it most. This helps the growers who need to dispose of excess produce and provides healthy food for those in need. They also do this for a phenomenally low overhead so that donations go to help those in need. I have been a supporter of SOSA for over 30 years and have never had any reason to regret supporting them. They continue to amaze me with what they can accomplish.

We gleaned Apple's in an orchard and were amazed at the amount we collected in a day. We participated in a hunger event that evening that left some of our group in tears from the raw emotions, and all of us with much more hunger awareness. You never know if your neighbors might be some of those who are hungry. SoSA takes what would normally be wasted and combines it with those who follow Christ's words to feed the hungry and works wonders. I will always support them.

SoSA has been gleaning fields of fresh produce for many years to help feed the hungry. They utilize many volunteers from all over the Mid Atlantic. They provide more food to local Food Banks and other sources of distribution than any other organization that I know. They also provide devotional materials to anyone who wants to participate in prayer and spiritual time. They are a wonderful organization for feeding the less fortunate.

SoSA's results-based work have consistently and repeatedly earned my trust & admiration. This is faith in action, in all of the very best, most human and caring definitions of that phrase. Well managed and participation oriented, SoSA offers ordinary, busy people a simple, wholesome work experience opportunity within the context of doing good unto others: helping to feed them. What a great concept. Thanks, cheers and blessings to SoSA!

Have never been able to help with gleaning or gathering produce, but have supported financially for years. Appreciate the genuine concern for people who are hungry and the major efforts put in to gather food and see it put to good use.

Prior to my retirement I was a vendor to SOSA. I can tell you these people are dedicated and practice what they preach. There was never any evidence of waste even on the business side. I have found over the years that a lot of businesses would change a plan, or decide that something needed updating, and just toss everything that was being used prior. Not these people, I saw partial packages of paper, being saved and used for other purposes, Was told of pieces of furniture, or equipment that were still functional, that were re purposed to other offices or projects. Was always very impressed with the people I dealt with. So after my retirement, when my wife pointed out that I needed something to do, I turned to SOSA. I have been working as a volunteer for the last 2 years, both gleaning fields and orchards as opportunities arose, and working with Farmers Markets collecting produce that didn't sell because it wasn't quite as pretty as the grocery store display. I have been overwhelmed by the desire of the local markets to support SOSA and by the gratitude of the Food Banks and Kitchens that the donations go to. I would ask you to consider this origination for any and all support you can offer!

The youth at my Methodist Church in Dallas, TX have worked many years in the Gleaning of food to feed hungry people. I had never heard of SoSA before we moved to Dallas eight years ago. After seeing the great work of people, and seeing the reports that SoSA share - WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!! Praise God!! Becky M.

SOSA has done some amazing work and we are happy to have donated to this group over the last 2 years. Most recently we used their VBS materials to educate our young children about hunger and poverty locally and nationally. Living in a rural community our children are familiar with gleaning. To reach beyond our borders has been eye opening for them. We are very thankful for these hard working people and their continued mission rescuing food that otherwise would be wasted! Robin

Having served on SoSA's board for multiple terms since its inception in 1979, I can vouch for the effectiveness of this exemplary organization. The audacious goal of ending hunger in this country just may be possible if more persons provide surplus food and help glean it, donate the funds necessary to bag and transport that fresh food to hungry people, and encourage young people to both learn about and do something about hunger through Harvest of Hope experiences. The obscenity of hunger in a land of plenty CAN be dealt with with your help, that I know.

We at South Austin Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) financially support Society of St. Andrews. We enjoy the uplifting devotionals they give to us at no cost for participating in their seasonal programs. We are looking forward in giving to this worthy cause again!

I have enjoyed working with SOSA for about two years now to feed the hungry in our community. The SOSA volunteers are always kind, gracious and so appreciative of the help that can offer. I have been blessed by the opportunity to with with them. The organization is one of pure integrity, from the financials to the groups they work with to the volunteers themselves.

My wife and I have provided financial support and hands on volunteer support for this ministry for a number of years. It has a very low overhead and a great net work of volunteers for bagging bulk food at food drops, gleaning, and educational opportunities for all age levels. It moves fresh, good produce that would otherwise go to waste to a table that may have little or no food.

SOSA has been a great partner for the University of Tennessee's Grow More Give More program. We are a service project aimed at reducing food waste and helping to feed the hungry. Society of St. Andrews helps coordinate the collection and distribution of the food. We really enjoy working with them, and they help us get the food where it is needed.

SOSA is a great company to volunteer for, and the product of their efforts along with the efforts of the volunteers is one of the most rewarding experiences you'll ever have. As a Christian, feeding the hungry is part of showing our love for our neighbors, as Jesus commanded. Volunteering for SOSA is an easy way to show this and learn to give back to our community. You'll work hard, but it's extremely fun, and extremely rewarding. I would suggest volunteering at a citrus drive, that's the most fun in my opinion.

Volunteering with SOSA has truly been a blessing. They unselfishly give of their time and talents to help the hungry. If they could see the tears of joy that falls from the faces of senior citizens, widows, hospice and the working poor, who needed food but did not have the means to purchase any, Yet the SOSA team is in action freely distributing food. They hungry are amazed that the food is free, good quality and given with the Love of Christ. Some senior citizens have stated that SOSA is the reason they are able to eat. Another Senior Citizen receives $22.00 per month in federal food assistance and stated "I don't know how I would eat if SOSA wasn't here". SOSA has impacted the lives of the hungry, one senior citizen no longer has to ear cat food at the end of the month, because SOSA is continually in the community providing food for the hungry. Thank you SOSA for all that you do unseen. May the Lord richly bless you!

Years ago a representative from the Society of Saint Andrew made a presentation at our church. We were so impressed with the depth of commitment that was evidenced in what we learned about the Society that began to make regular contributions. Since that time we have never missed an opportunity to support this program for it is carrying out one of the basic teachings of both the Old and New Testaments, namely feeding the hungry. Over the years we've been increasingly impressed with the extent of the Society's outreach while operating on a very basic budget. We can't imagine a more meaningful or effective use of the monies we set aside for charitable contributions.

I research each and every charity that I donate to, and Society of St. Andrew has the least amount earmarked for administrative costs! The bulk of monies received goes to do the work of feeding the hungry! I also love being able to send Christmas cards each year through St. Andrews. Each year is a different artist with their own design proclaiming the birth of Jesus the Savior! Also, they have beautiful Advent materials you can print out! Wonderful organization! If you donate, you are assured it is used most efficiently!

What an awesome way to feed those less fortunate. SOSA uses so little of the money donated for operating expenses. Truly a Biblical approach to hunger.

This is a great non-profit organization. I support them with my time and money. They are biblical in their efforts to glean food which would rot in the fields of America. Children really like to help by putting their coins in the boxes provided by SSA. Even if you are unable to help in the fields your can help by purchasing their Christmas cards and making donations.

Volunteering with the Society of St Andrew for the past 8 years has been wonderful. It is amazing to see the difference being made by this organization. They are starting in our local communities and changing the world!

This non profit organization is fantastic. If you want to feel good about yourself in helping others, then become a "gleaner" for SoSA. It's not hard work and you are helping seniors, children and families that are in need of food.

SoSA is amazing!!! Whenever I try to tell people about their work, they act like it is too good to be true! By rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste (usually landfills), they are able to provide fresh (not processed) food for just a few pennies per pound because they work with existing feeding agencies. They have a surprisingly low overhead.

SOSA has been an amazing organization to volunteer with! It is beneficial to the farmers who so generously allow us to glean and distribute the bounty to food pantries all over the metropolitan Kansas City area. It is beneficial to the food pantries who can have fresh produce for people who do not see fresh food often. It is beneficial to the patrons who learn about unfamiliar foods, how to prepare them and, in so-doing, improving their nutritional intake. It is beneficial to the many volunteers to know that together we can truly work to end hunger. This past summer, the Boys and Girls Club at the Center of Grace in Olathe, KS, were fortunate enough to have fresh fruit and/or veggies at every lunch meal the entire summer. One of the most poignant memories for me is of a young girl--probably around 10 years old--who asked me what this fuzzy thing was on her plate. I explained it was a peach and she could pick it up and bite it. The look on her face when she took her first bite of the ripe, juicy peach was priceless! Thanks, SOSA, for the experience!

We participated in an apple glean and it was a great experience. I especially was impressed with Karin's involvement of the children who were present. She taught them to weigh the boxes and made them feel very important. Working with the other volunteers was also a positive experience.

We received several loads of corn and vegetables from this group and were able to give some out to the working poor in the community and serve the rest in our kitchen where we serve over 2000 meals per day . Karin is great to work with and we were very grateful to receive fresh corn and veggies .

The folks at the Society of St. Andrews are very welcoming, and mission minded! They were very good at making you understand the long reaching impact of what you were doing. It served as a great motivator! Their dedication and hard, hard work is a marvel, and is also contagious! , What they are doing just makes sense, and that is very appealing.

SOSA has been a wonderful organization that has greatly supported our efforts. As a grass-roots non-profit working with farmworker communities, many individuals do not regularly have enough food for themselves or their families. SOSA has frequently been able to assist us in feeding the hungry. Additionally, they have been extremely knowledge, professional, and helpful when gleaning for food. I have joined them on a number of occasions and always look forward to my next opportunity to work with their organization.

Our agency operates a food pantry that provides food to over 20,000 individuals a year. Fresh produce is something that we never have access to and is so vital to the health of our clients. Our partnership with the Society of St. Andrew has enabled us to distribute thousands of pounds of useful produce to our clients. We have distributed potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, melons, and green beans that would otherwise have been wasted. They are extremely vigilant in founding and transporting these items to us at no cost.

I appreciate SoSA as an organization that takes their mission to love people through and to Christ by meeting their physical needs. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." ~ James 1:27

I am a Gleaner for St. Andrews Society which entails going the weekly Tailgate Markets and "gleaning" food that might spoil before the next selling opportunity. I talk with the farmers and vendors and collect products they wish to donate. The farmers and vendors are very kind and generous people and I often end up with a load of food that fills the back seat of my car. I take the food directly to a home for women that are pregnant and/or have young kids that are creating a fresh start on life. This wonderful food includes a huge selection veggies, bread, fruit, eggs, cheese, pastries, and sometimes even flowers and treats! Some of the residents may not have encountered this variety of wholesome food in the past and enjoy learning about and eating the healthy local foods.

As pastor/servant leader, I have been privileged to meet and learn from one Rev. Jennifer Vestal Moore when I was a student at Wesley Theological Seminary (Washington DC). She came to our mission class to speak about this fantastic outreach and spiritual mission. Over the past 10 years I have carried the message and helped others to get on board. The Vacation Bible School for two years in a row has made their collection grow and sent in to SOSA. We have been part of apple and potato gleaning as a church. It is a wonderful organization helping feed so many in the USA. It should be something known to all--where SOSA is on all peoples lips. Praise God. The blessings flow from all who care for this mission/ministry to those in need. Each year more and more people are kept from hunger through this effort. In Jesus name. Amen!

When donating to SoSa, I am assured that the monies will be wisely used to help those who find it difficult to meet their daily need for food. This organization allows me and others the opportunity to glean what is good nutritional food for hundreds to enjoy. It provides Biblical study literature to enhance every Christian holiday and for those who glean to encourage an understanding of the plight of hunger. It encourages farmers to share the crops left after reaping. If a person can only donate to one organization, Society of Saint Andrews is the one to choose!

The Society of St. Andrew is an incredible organization that provides food for those in need by rescuing food that otherwise would be wasted. The concept is very simple. Farmers allow volunteers to glean (gather crops after the harvest) from their crops and distribute the food to those in need. Society of St. Andrew also works with growers and distributors who have large quantities of leftover produce they cannot sell and makes sure it is delivered to agencies who feed the hungry. Society of St. Andrew can provide fresh fruits and vegetables to America's most needy for a mere 2 cents per serving. Find out more at endhunger.org

SOSA seems to be able to do the most with every donated dollar. I love the fact that this organization is making use of tons of food that oterwise would not be used.

What a great organization to work with!! We are so grateful for the connection between farmer and family!! The families we serve we so thankful for the beautiful potatoes and the pumpkins that we were blessed with! The representative, Linda came and met us, observed our community outreach and interacted with our volunteers. We were impressed by how professional yet compassionate they are!! Great non-profit to be working with.

A wonderful organization! Their concept of harvesting fresh, perfectly good, nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste is awesome. Participated in a gleaning weekend a few years ago and loved it. Have been a regular supporter since.

The gleaning network of the Society of St. Andrew brings together people from different walks of life for a common purpose...providing fresh fruits and vegetables to people who are hungry. The process is a "win-win-win" proposition. Fresh produce is "rescued" from being wasted (win!), growers who donate get a tax credit (win!), and people who are hungry get fresh, nutritious produce that they couldn't afford to purchase (huge win!!) The keys to the success of the mission Society of St. Andrew include the generosity of the farmers, the dedication and hard work of the volunteers, and the effective networking by the Society staff.

I have been associated with Society of St. Andrew for 4 years now. They have been a valuable and much needed contributor to helping to feed the poor and hurting in our community. They are extremely well organized and are constantly working to get more farms and growers to allow gleaners to be able to harvest food that would otherwise go to waste. It is all about helping others, instead of focusing on themselves. This is a group that I plan to support whole heartedly, as long as the Lord allows!!! J.S.

SOSA is one of the best charities that we, as a family have volunteered in. The organizers are extremely personable and down to earth people. Children are not only accommodated but their participation is valued. Its so wonderful to be out there in an orchard or farm connecting to nature and you're benefiting the hungry in the process. The best part about the charity is that acts as a medium for providing what is needed where its needed. The charity uses the excess of food present in farms or orchards which will otherwise rot or be plowed down and uses volunteers to pick the produce and organizes to send it to the 2nd Harvest Bank. Amazing people, amazing partners. It is my and my children's most favorite of all.

The Society of St. Andrew does an amazing job of coordinating volunteers and putting them to work on behalf of hungry people. Their gleaning approach is a win/win/win for the hungry, for food producers, and for those who want to be involved in combatting hunger in a hands on way.

Once a month I deliver produce to refugees in the Charlotte area. It is such a blessing to see their excited faces when I pull up. Not only are they thankful for the fruit and vegetables but they are so into helping unload the truck!

I am privileged to serve on the Advisory Board of SOSA West here in Kansas City Missouri. I have seen first-hand the breath and the depth and scope of the work hundreds of volunteers commit to each day. They are truly submitting to the servants-model of "a man for others". The countless hours of "gleaning", the hard but rewarding work that entails speaks volumes in terms of community support. From Harvesters to various feeding agencies throughout the metropolitan Kansas City area, SOSA is there committed and ready to serve. This is truly an organization that is clear in it's mission and goals. Congratulations to all who serve and for those among us that have no voice SOSA speaks up and out for them through it's partnerships and advocacy. I'm honored and proud to be a small part in this effort.

I absolutely love volunteering with Society of Saint Andrew. It is very efficient and effective for getting good, healthy, fresh food to folks who are hungry. There is an area co-ordinator who contacts farmers about picking any edible but unsellable food left in the field. The co-ordinator then recruits gleaners(pickers), drivers to deliver what is picked, and other non-profit agencies that will accept the fresh produce and distribute it. This is done through e-mail and phone calls. There is very little commitment; if you get a notice for a gleaning and can not or just do not want to participate then you ignore the notice. If you are able and willing you respond and are sent the details. There is no pressure from the co-ordinators. Once after gleaning tomatoes I estimated how many pounds my wife and I had gleaned and looked at the local supermarket to see what tomatoes cost. We were able to pick over $300 dollars of tomatoes. There was no way we could have given anyone or any organization $300. Our investment was less than $20 after we bought gas and stopped for a snack on the way home. We have also been allowed to take food to people we know who are in need such as the elderly on fixed incomes. They are always so appreciative of having fresh produce. The more I volunteer with Society of Saint Andrew the more I enjoy it. It's such a good feeling to know that I am using not only my finances but my time in a very productive way that helps others who are struggling.

My children help to gleen oranges and they received the wonderful feeling of giving unconditionally...the staff were extremely helpful and pleasant..

Three generatiosyear of my family and I have volunteered with SOSA on more than one occasion. We feel like we made a real difference saving food that otherwise would have gone to waste. There really is something for almost everyone to do with this worthwhile cause!

I use SoSA devotional materias each year for my church's spiritual growth. I have always received great feedback from the members because these devotions are so meaningful. Each time I volunteer at a potato drop, talk with SoSA staff, or highlight SoSA in my church; I have a positive experience with people who ae committed to helping in any way they can. I have complete confidence in the integrity of this ministry with thse who can help meet the needs of the hungry.

I got involved with SoSA through Northland Church when I signed up for the Backyard Citrus Drive in 2009 to glean my mother's tangerine tree. They came back in 2010 and as long as the tree keeps producing I will keep it on the list. SoSA also partners with Second Harvest Food Bank where I also volunteer occasionally. I have volunteered with SoSA to help glean cabbage in the fields near Zellwood and to sort and bag cucumbers at the Second Harvest warehouse. It is such a great thing that SoSA does, developing rapports with nearby farmers and to have them donate a small part of their harvest to help feed those in need of food. It is hard physical labor most of the time, but I'm sure they would tell you that the reward is well worth it. I plan to continue to volunteer, though not as frequently as I should be. I am so thankful that we have organizations such as SoSA especially in today's economy. I shudder to think how our local communities would be without them. God bless SoSA.

I have been associated with the Society of Saint Andrew for over 20 years, first as a volunteer, then as a "ministry interpreter", and now as pastor of 2 church's in Virginia, you can think of me as one of this organization's official "cheerleader". I consider all those who work in the corporate office in Big Island, Va, friends. Everyone there is top notch! I have also created several fundraiser opportunities for my congregations including; "Let the Light Shine Bright" an Advent fundraiser inviting folks to purchase Luminaries in honor or memory of loved ones, "Keeping Summer Spiritual" providing funds for the Potato Project and Gleaning Network and this year's campaign using the Advent Devotionals provided by SoSA to raise hunger awareness. I have been proud to be associated with SoSA and it is 1 of only a very few that I will personally endorse.

Society of St. Andrew is making a difference in many communities where people are hungry. I have had the opportunity to participate in several "potato drops" and have been blessed to help feed the poor. It is amazing how much the Society of St. Andrew can do for so little in providing good nourishing food to those who need it.

The Society of St. Andrews is a great organization because you get to decide how you give. You can give money and know that every penny is going to end hunger. If you want to be a little more hands on, you can participate in a gleaning or potato drop. Want to get your hands a dirty while learning about hunger? Harvest of Hope Phase I offers the chance to glean, help an organization that benefits from the gleaning, and learn about hunger and food distribution. Harvest of Hope Phase II offers the chance to reach out to the individuals that need the food that is donated through soup kitchens and food deliveries. I have donated money, gleaned and participated in Phase I along with my youth group. I highly recommend attending a Harvest of Hope. It is a life changing experience.

Society of St. Andrew is an excellent organization which uses donations to the fullest extent. Their programs (Harvest of Hope, Potato Project, etc.) are extremely moving, useful, helpful, and Christ-like. I try to ensure that a large portion of the money I earmark for charity goes to SOSA each year, because I believe in their purpose! Thank you, SOSA, for all that you do!

The leaders for the gleaning weekend explained the clear objectives, what was needed for a meaningful volunteer experience, and expressed their faith and humor with great authenticity. I would strongly recommend the weekend to other youth groups. The drive down to South Carolina from Massachusetts was the only setback.

I was drawn to SoSA by the fact they save food that would otherwise be wasted and feed hungry people. It was how my gramma raised me. Also love their devotion booklets for Advent & Lent. Will always be a money donor. Looking forward to a day when I can be a gleaner also. Want to pass the legacy onto my grandson.

My Wife and I took 6 members of our youth group to a large farm in Mt. Dora Florida to pick cabbage last spring. We gathered in our vans, offered prayers and drove over. Barbara Sales, SOSA coordinator, and her husband met us just where they said they would. We got on the back of a truck and drove across the road to the field. Cabbage had been left for us to glean on that Saturday, and by Monday it was scheduled to be plowed under for replanting. The adults were given sharp knives for cutting the cabbage and the youth picked them up and put them in wheelbarrows and carts to take to the back of trucks. Our shoes got dirty as did our shirts and pants; and it was exhausting work. What farm workers have to endure! We ate our sack lunches on the ground with cups of water. But it was rewarding by the end of the days seeing that: 1) We, just a few, loaded over 3000 pounds of cabbage that day! and 2) we were giving healthy, fresh food to hungry people who may have nothing, or have a steady diet of canned foods. I cannot say enough about Barbara Sales and The Society of St. Andrew. What a meaningful ministry to people right in our own area. Jeffrey Sumner, Senior Pastor, Westminster By-The-Sea Presbyterian Church, Daytona Beach Shores, Florida

I have gleaned cabbages, watermelons, blueberries, corn and tomatoes through the Society of St Andrew in Mississippi. I have also volunteered in a food pantry at which these fresh produce items have been distributed to people for whom purchasing fresh produce is beyond their financial capability much of the time. The joy at receiving wholesome, fresh vegetables and fruit makes their eyes light up. Also, the sense of community slogging through sometimes muddy fields with other committed volunteers produces such a sense of belonging and joy at living out the mandate to 'feed the hungry'.

I've been giving to St Andrew's for many years now. Everyone I send the Christmas card to always says that it is one of the most meaningful gifts they receive. It is wonderful how the effectiveness of a small to moderate gift is multiplied by the way the Society uses it.