Spartanberg — Food rescue organization Ruth’s Gleanings is fighting nutritional poverty by bringing fresh and healthy food to the kitchens throughout Spartanberg.
Your organization has two programs. Rescue extra food distributed to people in need. The second is FoodShare Spartanburg, which offers families fresh fruits and vegetables every other week in affordable food boxes.
“Our entire organization is based on a particular Bible poem and a particular book, the spirit of the Book of Ruth,” said Tonja Ruth Smith, founder and executive director of Ruth’s Gleaning. increase. When we reap the land harvest, we are left behind in this harvest because we are instructed not to mow to the edges or pick up the remaining gleaning. Leave them for the poor, aliens, and aliens. Widow, and orphan. “
Smith started the organization in 2016.
Ruth’s Gleanings buys produce from local farmers and distributors and puts it in the FoodShare box. About 800 boxes are available every month. Boxes are not free, but they are significantly discounted. Boxes containing $ 25 to $ 30 worth of produce can be purchased for $ 15. With SNAP benefits, the box is $ 5 with SNAP cards.
There are up to 12 kinds of fruits and vegetables in the box. Every time the box was distributed, Smith said he liked to include special items that weren’t very common.
“Many people don’t know what’s in the box, so they use a Christmas-like analogy when opening the box,” she said.
An exhibition of passages from the Bible used by Ruth’s Gleanings founder Tonja Ruth Smith as a guide to her organization.Asia Rollins / Staff
Ruth’s Gleanings not only buy produce for boxes, but also receive donations sent to partner organizations such as pantry, soup kitchens and mission houses to help people facing food insecurity. The organization not only makes fresh food options available, but also strives to teach the value of health foods through cooking classes and recipe sheets that correspond to the items in each box.
Through community partnerships, the curriculum has been created to make it easier for anyone to teach online cooking classes. The instructor talks about hygiene practices and proper use of kitchen utensils and utensils.
Spartan Berg Regional distributes food box vouchers to people taking diabetes education classes. Ruth’s Gleanings also offers boxes for hospital programs to help pregnant women at risk.
“Introducing healthy foods to children will change your lifestyle, regardless of how you grow it or what you rely on,” said Jeff Randall, director of community relations and operations at Ruth’s Gleanings. .. “They have learned to some extent that this is a good and healthy aspect to starting life.”
According to the organization’s website, about 40% of food produced in the United States is wasted and thrown away, and 14% of US households suffer from food insecurity.
“Just when I was here, I talked in the sidebar about the differences between people and their health, how they approach food, and their excitement for the program. That’s really what,” Randall said. ..
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