Introducing I Love to Glean, Recipient of February and March Generosity Offerings

Volunteers Juliana Humphrey and Katrina Peterson sort donated food on a conveyor belt inside the I Love to Glean warehouse in Chula Vista.

By Maureen McNair
​​I Love to Glean is a start up, non-profit food bank located in Chula Vista less than two miles from our South Bay Food Pantry. I am thrilled to share with you that I Love to Glean is also the recipient of the Sunday generosity offerings for February and March.
I Love to Glean is the brainchild of Karen Clay, a visionary and activist who currently lives in Imperial Beach. Karen is a retired event organizer. South Bay Food Pantry volunteers recognize her behind her mask when they see her long gray hair and ancient red pick up truck. ​
Karen created this non-profit food bank to rescue the tons of edible food currently going to landfills. I Love to Glean does not distribute rescued food directly to individuals. Instead, they provide that food to pantries, and pantries distribute the food to people experiencing food insecurity. Currently, Karen works with about three dozen pantries. 
Karen’s idea is brilliant and one whose time has come. ​

---

Karen Clay, Founder of “I Love to Glean”

Right now, San Diego County only has two major regional food banks. The San Diego Food Bank is located off Miramar Road and Feeding San Diego, the regional location for Feeding America, is located in Sorrento Valley. Both of those regional food banks are hard hit with demands by pantries for food and both are a long drive from the economically disadvantaged South Bay. So, the demand for free food is present and the location Karen chose for a new food bank is perfect.
Karen started her food rescue operation from her small Imperial Beach apartment. I am so impressed by her advance planning:

Karen Clay, Founder of “I Love to Glean,” inside the Chula Vista warehouse.

• First, she obtained a public records list of about 100 businesses in Chula Vista, such as grocery stores, that produce food. As I Love to Glean grows, they can certainly reach into other cities as well.
• She obtained information on the amount of food waste they send to landfills each year. 
• Karen informed herself of the legal process for rescuing food by attending CalRecycle workshops on the State law that will soon mandate food producers to partner with food rescue organizations.  
• She has been working closely with the City of Chula Vista to educate food producers about the new legal requirements to divert food from landfills so the businesses will understand the importance of contracting with I Love to Glean. 
• She obtained a $25,000 grant from County Supervisor Greg Cox to rent a refrigerated box truck to use for food pick up and delivery. 

She created I Love to Glean last year and rented a 4,800 square foot warehouse not far from the trolly tracks in Chula Vista. Volunteers, along with Karen who is a volunteer herself, rescue, store, sort, and transport food from this warehouse. Personally, I have sorted food and swept out the warehouse. 
The friends and members of this congregation can be an important part of I Love to Glean in at least two ways.

---

First, Karen’s organization needs on-going funding to pay rent and buy equipment such as a refrigerator large enough to hold pallets of food. Your one time or on-going support is critical during this start up period and to sustain this important work. 
Second, both the Social Justice Executive Team, who selected I Love to Glean as the recipient of our generosity offering, and Karen want congregants to build deeper relationships by volunteering. Volunteers can wear masks and work at a social distance in the warehouse. Volunteers who prefer to stay home might volunteer to do such things as grant writing.  
If you are able, please give generously through the Sunday offerings. And, if you are interested in volunteering at the I Love to Glean warehouse, please contact me. I will be happy to introduce you to Karen Clay.​