Kansas City Mom Collective is featuring an organization each month that supports Kansas City families. We hope to introduce you to a new organization and provide ways you can support their mission. To nominate an organization to be featured here, email us.
After The Harvest fights hunger, improves nutrition and reduces food waste by rescuing fresh produce and distributing it to local organizations across the Kansas City metro to feed hungry people.
The Story of After The Harvest
After the Harvest began in 2014 with a group of like-minded individuals sharing the common belief that hungry people deserve healthy food in Greater Kansas City and that no food should go to waste. After the Harvest (ATH) rescues nutritious fruits and vegetables that would otherwise end up in landfills and donates them to agencies that serve hungry people, primarily in Greater Kansas City.
What Is Gleaning?
Gleaning is gathering extra food from farms, gardens and restaurants to give those in need. After The Harvest’s volunteers glean after the harvest, picking what’s left in farmers’ fields and rescuing already-harvested leftover produce.
It’s their focus on fruits and vegetables that set them apart, and their common sense solution that brings people together, volunteers, growers, financial donors and food agencies all participate in fighting hunger, improving nutrition and reducing food waste in Kansas City.
Their work also has a powerful environmental impact, as rotting food in landfills is the nation’s single-largest contributor to methane gas emissions.
Ways to Support After The Harvest
There is something for everyone to do, from heading into a field in the growing season to helping pick up farm-fresh items and leftover produce from farmers’ markets, it takes volunteers of all ages to get healthy produce to hungry people.
Get Your Hands Dirty
Organize a group or bring your family to help glean the fields. From May through November and sometimes earlier or later depending on the growing season you can sign up for gleaning dates on their volunteer calendar. Gleanings are within 30-45 minutes of downtown Kansas City.
Give Financially
Become a Harvest Hero. Make an impact as a monthly donor, even a few dollars a month adds up to a big difference, there are also ways to make a one-time donation.
Volunteer
If volunteering in the fields isn’t possible for you or you’re looking for more ways to help After The Harvest utilizes volunteers for many tasks including (but not limited to) office help, marketing projects, event planning and fundraising. There are many volunteer opportunities that you could help with. To learn about more opportunities you can email them at [email protected]
After The Harvest can be found online and on Facebook and Instagram.
