Second Harvest solicits and coordinates donations, grants, fundraising, food drives, food rescue, harvesting, and volunteers to supply food, education, and advocacy for the hungry through non-profit partners and direct feeding programs. Second Harvest’s mission is to end hunger in Orange County.
I showed up at 3pm at the Incredible Edible Park in the city of Irvine where I met Raul, one of the caretakers of the park. He gave us, a group of about ten, a quick lesson on planting pinto beans, seeds for radishes, and cabbage. Depending on the season, volunteers could be planting seeds or smaller plants, picking weeds, or harvesting broccoli, carrots, onions, strawberries, cabbage, chili peppers, green beans, watermelons, and pumpkins. Occasionally, they harvest lemons and oranges from the citrus groves of the Centennial Museum in Santa Ana.
Some of us hoed the dirt, some planted the seeds, and others covered the seeds up. Once we all got into our grove, we all worked quickly and efficiently. We probably planted over a few hundred feet of seed in the hour and a half I was there. In a few months, some of the seeds we planted will be ready for harvesting and provide food for local shelters, churches, homes for battered and abused women and children, and local pantries.
The work was quick, easy, dirty, and completely satisfying.
Website: feedoc.org
Orientation: No.
Commitment: 2hr. planting seeds.
Cost: $0
This entry is part of 2011’s Project 365 – Volunteering 12 places in 12 months.