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Second annual pumpkin gleaning saves nearly 3 tons of pumpkins and squash

More than 6 billion pounds of fruits and vegetables go unharvested or unsold annually in the United States, while individuals and families face growing problems obtaining healthy foods. For the second year, STEP AmeriCorps service members and community volunteers tackled this problem by gathering nearly 6,000 pounds of pumpkins and squash from Carpenter’s Pumpkin Farm, in Linden, for distribution by the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.

“I am excited that the gleaning at Carpenter’s Farm yielded 5,920 pounds of pumpkins and spaghetti squash. It was another great turnout of volunteers, for the second year in a row. This is a great example of community members coming together in a collaborative way to fight hunger,” said Eric Orndorff, Central PA Food Bank regional director.

The gleaned pumpkins and squash will be distributed whole in Fresh Express boxes from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Northern Tier location. The Fresh Express program delivers perishable fresh foods directly to those in need. The pumpkins will come with a variety of nourishing recipes.

This service project and several other programs are a result of the partnership between STEP and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, a direct response to the 2015 Community Needs Assessment (available at step corp.org), which indicates that food insecurity and food access are growing concerns for the populations of Lycoming and Clinton Counties. STEP AmeriCorps is a part of STEP’s Community Collaboration Pathway to Success.

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