Volunteer Newsletter, February 9, 2006

CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY WITH ART CREATED BY NATURE:

When a citrus blossom meets with a microscopic insect, one of a kind sculptures emerge.  It's a natural partnership!

Village Harvest volunteers find these unusually shaped fruits while harvesting for the hungry and we've captured some of our favorites on greeting cards.  It's a message that celebrates nature in all its wonder. 

To celebrate your natural partnership with the one that you love, we're offering a number of choices:

• Make a donation to Village Harvest in honor of the one you love and we will send your sentiments in a special lemon heart card.
• Order a gift basket or gift pack of Village Harvest preserves sent to your loved ones and we'll include your message in one of our special lemon hearts. 
• Or purchase a pack of 5 cards (hearts or assorted) for $13.50 including tax and shipping.

Please place orders by Saturday, February 11th to ensure delivery by Valentine's Day.  Contact sales@villageharvest.org to place an order or find out more information.  Proceeds support our efforts to alleviate local hunger with locally grown food.

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HARVESTING FOR THE HUNGRY - Cupertino 2/26:

The event you've been waiting for...  the orange harvest at Stocklmeir Ranch!  This is a historic orange orchard in Cupertino that is planned to be remodeled into part of the Cupertino park system.  This year's harvest has suffered tremendously from lack of care, but there are still enough oranges to make for a worthwhile event.  The oranges will be donated to Cupertino Community Services to feed the hungry right in the city of Cupertino.   Volunteers High School age and over are welcome, please no dogs allowed. 

Sunday,  February 26th
9:00am - 3:00pm  (morning shift 9 - 12, afternoon shift 12 - 3)
Stocklmeir Ranch, Cupertino, CA

Please RSVP to joni@villageharvest.org for more details.

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HELP & ITEMS WANTED:

If you're looking for ways to help this Winter/Spring, here are a couple of ways to help Village Harvest raise funds to keep the harvesting going.

Items Wanted:

Boxes:
Our harvesting activities are growing even further and we're finding ourselves in short supply of boxes to distribute fruit in.  If you have contacts our creative sources of sturdy, same size boxes, please let us know.  We love to reuse boxes before they get recycled.

Help Wanted:

Internet Preserve Sales   2 hours a week 
This opportunity is for someone in the W. San Jose area who can drive, wants to work independently and contribute on a flexible schedule.  You will respond to questions about our preserves, fill and ship orders as they come in.  Our preserve sales keep Village Harvest harvesting. 

Sales Event Coordinator:    8-10 hours per sales event
We have a couple of Spring Sales events coming up.  If you're good with organizing events and have a creative flair, this is an opportunity for you.  There are volunteers that will help at the events, but you'd be in charge of planning, organizing and inventory.  And of course, tastes are always free =)

Date / Day	Time	Event	Meeting Place	Notes
February 14, Tuesday	8:30 am - 12:30 pm	Community Fruit Harvesting, W. San Jose.  Citrus.	Meet 8:30 am, Salvation Army, San Jose.	Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in.
February 19, Sunday	9:00am - 12:00 pm	Community Fruit Harvesting, Los Altos.  Citrus.	Meet 9:00 am, Mt. View CSA	Contact karen@villageharvest.org to join in.
February 21, Tuesday	8:30 am - 12:30 pm	Community Fruit Harvesting, Willow Glen Estate, San Jose.  Citrus	Meet 8:30 am, Salvation Army, San Jose.	Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in.
February 26, Sunday	9:00am - 3:00 pm	Harvesting for the Hungry, Cupertino. Oranges	RSVP for details.	Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in.
February 28, Tuesday	8:30 am - 12:30 pm	Community Fruit Harvesting, W. San Jose.  Citrus.	Meet 8:30 am, Salvation Army, San Jose.	Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in.
March 5, Sunday	9:00am - 12:00 pm	Community Fruit Harvesting, Mountain View.	Meet 9:00 am, Mt. View CSA	Contact karen@villageharvest.org to join in.
March 7, Tuesday	8:30 am - 12:30 pm	Community Fruit Harvesting, W. San Jose.  Citrus.	Meet 8:30 am, Salvation Army, San Jose.	Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in.
March 11,  Saturday	8:30 am - 12:30 pm	Harvesting for the Hungry, Palo Alto w/ Valley of Heart's Delight	Meet 8:30am, Foundation for Global Community, 222 High St, Palo Alto.	Citrus!  Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in.
March 14, Tuesday	8:30 am - 12:30 pm	Community Fruit Harvesting, W. San Jose.  Citrus.	Meet 8:30 am, Salvation Army, San Jose.	Contact joni@villageharvest.org to join in.
March 19, Sunday	9:00am - 12:00 pm	Community Fruit Harvesting, Mountain View.	Meet 9:00 am, Mt. View CSA	Contact karen@villageharvest.org to join in.

Remember that the best tasting, tree ripened fruit goes home with the volunteers, as it will be too ripe to go through distribution at the various agencies.  Perfect for people who like to make preserves. All dates subject to change based upon ripening and weather.

 

OTHER ORGANIZATION EVENTS:

• The following are events by other organizations that may be of interest to Village Harvest volunteers.

Date / Day	Time	Event	Meeting Place	Notes
February 11, Saturday	12:30 - 4:00pm	California Rare Fruit Growers:  Growing Sub-tropicals	Prusch Park, 647 S. King Road, San Jose	Guests of CRFG members are free.
February 14, Tuesday	6:30 - 9:00pm	Campbell Adult Ed Classes:  Fruit Tree Selection by Nancy Garrison	Campbell Community Center, Corner of Campbell Avenue and Winchester Boulevard	See www.mastergardeners.org for details.
April 1, Saturday	TBA	Master Gardener Spring Garden Market	Prusch Park, 647 S. King Road, San Jose	Heirloom tomatoes, peppers and many vendors including Village Harvest.

 

Cheers,
Joni Diserens
Village Harvest
joni@villageharvest.org
www.villageharvest.org
(888) FRUIT-411