🥬About Produce Sorting🥬
At The Bulb, we are committed to addressing both food insecurity and food waste, supporting efforts that promote sustainable food systems and ensuring that less food is wasted while more communities are properly nourished.
Our grocery partners—Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Costco—set aside produce that’s deemed unsellable for reasons like over-ordering, mis-shipments, or cosmetic damage during transit. Instead of this produce going to waste, we rescue it through our food recovery program.
Each week, The Bulb conducts 10 pickups, collecting an average of 3,500+ pounds of produce. In the first half of 2024, we rescued 96,930 pounds of grocery produce, with only 9,610 pounds (less than 10%) going to compost. That means 90% of the food we collect is distributed to those in need.
Join us in providing equitable access to fresh, nutritious food for underserved communities while helping build a more sustainable food system. Together, we can make a meaningful difference.
🍅What will volunteers do?🍅
After we rescue fresh produce from our grocery store partners, our volunteers roll up their sleeves to sort through the bounty. They carefully assess each item—separating out the delicious, nutritious produce that’s still good to eat, and ensuring that it gets into the hands of our community members. Any produce that’s no longer fit for consumption is sent to compost, helping to keep our food system sustainable. Volunteers also organize the produce by type—grouping the different fruits and vegetables—so everything can be cataloged in our inventory, allocated to markets, and distributed to those in need. It’s a hands-on, impactful role that directly helps reduce food waste while providing fresh, healthy food to those who need it most!
🌽What will volunteers need to bring or wear?🌽
Wear comfy, closed-toed shoes. Dress in clothes you don't mind getting a little dirty—produce sorting is a hands-on, sometimes messy job! If you have long hair, tie it back so it doesn’t get in the way of your sorting skills!
🧄How to Sign Up!🧄
Sign up for available volunteer shifts by visiting our POINT page. Find an opportunity that works for you, click sign up, make a POINT account, and then you'll be all set!
🥕Questions? 🥕
Email Volunteer Coordinator, Lindsay Kappius - Bulbateer@thebulbgallery.org