Urban Gleaners: Reducing Food Waste & Food Insecurity

Helping To Reduce Waste 

And Eliminate Hunger

Urban Gleaners is a local organization, founded in 2006 by Tracy Oseran, that works with local donor restaurants, grocery stores, corporate campuses, colleges and universities, farms, and food wholesalers to take food waste donations and donate them at over 40 sites across the Portland metro area. 

What makes Urban Gleaners unique?

In 2016 Oregon was the only state in the country to report an increase in childhood hunger and every year $218 billion per year is spent growing, processing, transporting, and disposing of food that is never eaten. What Urban Gleaners does is take food from organization or business that can't use it, a good example of this might be those rotisserie chickens at your local supermarket that maybe nobody buys the day it's put out so under normal circumstances it would simply be thrown away, well UG comes and picks up that chicken and gets it on someone's table, thus saving the money and waste while also helping someone in need. 

How can you help?

- You can donate money and become a part of The Gleaners Guild.

- You can volunteer at their warehouse or even become a driver to pickup food around the city!

Do you need food?

If you or someone you know could use some food, Urban Gleaners operates 25 school pantries, 15 mobile markets, and at 18 summer markets. Visit this page to see an up to date list of where food distribution is happening near you.

Images and info: Urban Gleaners