Q. Do you receive funding from the government?
R. We do not receive any form of government funding.
Q. How do you find fresh produce? Is it brought to you?
R. Several times a week, volunteer truck drivers take the Gleaners truck out on the road to pickup fresh product from greenhouses, vegetable processing operations, and local vegetable and apple growers located in the Lower Mainland.
Q. Can I buy a bag of the finished product? Can I take two bags on a trip with me?
R. We do not sell any of our product and we do not distribute within North America. A distribution request form can be filled out and forwarded to FVG for approval and allocation. Approved requests are often filled on a first-come, first -served basis.
Q. How can I get involved? Do you need help?
R. Absolutely! There is always room for one more! If you are looking for a great volunteer experience please visit our volunteer page for details. We operate from Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 12:00 pm. We also arrange group bookings for one evening a week in September and October and Saturdays throughout May to October. (WE WILL NOT BE OPEN ON SATURDAYS IN 2022.)
Q. Is the dry food available all year long? When do you package the dried product?
R. Getting the final soup mix product into "bagged state" is a full-cycle process. It begins with FVG drying each type of donated vegetable in seperate batches and then scraping them into storage barrels to be kept until later in the year. The proper combination of mixing the "soup mix" begins once we have all the ingredients. This is done in a friendly, full-filled assembly line process January through April when fresh produce is at a minimum. Apple Snacks are also bagged in these quieter winter months.
Q. How can I donate to the Gleaners?
R. Check out our Donation Page for information.