1994 – 2024
30 Years of Harvesting and Sharing
Fighting Food Insecurity
We feed the hungry by gathering surplus crops and unsold groceries for food distributors across San Diego County. Help us by volunteering, donating or both!
Latest News
WOW! Another amazing year of growth in pounds gleaned.
The Senior Gleaners’ community impact is more than just the total weight of food rescued that would otherwise be wasted. This massive effort was fueled by 184 dedicated volunteers who generously gave 7,669 hours of their time. Because of their hard work, over 1.1 million servings of fresh nourishment have fed hungry people! Furthermore, by diverting this food from landfills, we avoided hundreds of pounds of methane gas that would have been released into the atmosphere, the environmental equivalent of taking 135 gas-powered vehicles off the road.
Congratulations Daryush Bastani!
We couldn’t be prouder of Daryush being recognized as one of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ Volunteers of the Year for 2025! There were 14,822 volunteers in the county, estimated to have provided over $30 million in service value. Daryush was one of only a couple dozen individuals selected for this honor. It is truly a monumental achievement! We all sat together in the overflow balcony seating watching proudly from above as Daryush was called forward. When his name was announced, we cheered so loudly we practically drowned out the presentation of his accomplishments!
Philanthropic Partners
A huge thank you to the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club for their generous grant of $4,470! This marks our very first gift from the organization, and we are incredibly grateful. These funds will be used for gleaning equipment countywide and to purchase a new dedicated cell phone, ensuring our communication lines remain open and we never miss an important call. Support like this is vital to keeping our daily operations running and our volunteers out in the field.
Senior Gleaners Has Partnered with GivingIQ As a Non-Cash Giving Option
Thanks to an anonymous donor who recently gifted stock shares to Senior Gleaners, we are excited to announce our new partnership with GivingIQ (previously known as DonateStock). GivingIQ’s mission is to make it easy to donate non-cash assets, such as stock, donor-advised funds, qualified charitable contributions and even cryptocurrency! It’s safe, free and easy for you, completely eliminating tedious paperwork. It’s just as seamless for your financial advisor, saving them from processing complex forms. You will be kept in the loop throughout the entire process and will receive a tax receipt the moment your gift is processed. (Prefer to have your investment advisor handle everything? GivingIQ features an advisor option, allowing them to quickly securely initiate the gift on your behalf.)
You should always speak with your tax professional first, but the tax benefits of this approach are substantial. By directly donating appreciated assets that you have held for more than one year, you completely avoid the capital gains tax you would have owed if you sold the stock yourself. This means the full power of your gift goes directly toward feeding hungry people, rather than going to Uncle Sam! Plus, you can generally deduct the full fair market value of the stock on your income taxes if you itemize. Click here to see our page and learn more.
Save the Date for Our Annual Volunteer Appreciation Potluck
We usually celebrate our volunteers in April during Volunteer Month, but this year due to busy schedules, several Senior Gleaner events already scheduled in April and feedback from last year saying the preference is a weekend, rather than a weekday, we had to push it to early May. Save the date. Put it on your calendars. Our Senior Gleaner Volunteer Appreciation Potluck will be on Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 11:30 to 1:30. It will be at the Cathy Hopper Clairemont Friendship Center, the same place as last year, 4425 Bannock Ave, San Diego, CA 92117.
We are delighted to share that past-president Margaret Burton will be in town and will join us. Come say hi and learn what she has been up to since her move to Texas.
2026 International Gleaning Symposium in San Diego
Every year the Association of Gleaning Organizations hold a symposium to gather gleaners from around North America to meet, share and learn. Senior Gleaners is the host organization this year. The event is April 29 through May 1 at the Marina Village in Mission Bay. (Thank you to those of you who offered venue suggestions last fall!)
There is a fee to attend, but considering that it is here, thus eliminating travel and hotel costs, you may want to consider it. The in-person registration is $200 and includes a hosted reception Wednesday evening and lunches on Thursday and Friday. The virtual registration from the comfort of your home is $75. It will end mid-afternoon on Friday. Learn more at Gleaning Symposium – Association of Gleaning Organizations.
San Diego Senior Gleaners Achieves Gold
Seal of Transparency! 
We are thrilled to announce that San Diego Senior Gleaners has officially progressed from the Silver Seal to the prestigious Gold Seal of Transparency with Candid! 
This achievement reflects our commitment to transparency and accountability in serving our community. Thank you for your continued support! 
Volunteer
We welcome volunteers 55 years and above. Sign up today by completing our online form.
Donate a Crop
Our crews glean from as few as one or two backyard trees, orchards and farms. If you have fruit/crops to donate, please register your property. You receive a receipt for tax deductions.
Donate Funds
We rely on grants and donations from our volunteers, their family members and residents. Please support our work with funds, vehicles and more.
Reduce Waste
About 40% of landfill volume is organic material — much of it food waste, producing harmful methane gas. Learn better ways to shop, store food and protect the environment.
Gleaners in Action
What’s a Gleaner? For centuries, gleaners have collected food that would otherwise be wasted. The term originates from landowners leaving portions of their fields or crops for the poor to glean — collect bit by bit.
We Made Quite a Community Impact in 2025
242,330
Pounds Crops Picked
175,827
Pounds Groceries Collected
7669
Volunteer Hours Recorded
355
San Diego County Resident Donors
Read What San Diegans are Saying About Us
Residential Fruit Donor
“I rely on the gleaning crew to help me pick my trees. I donate in memory of my wife who planted them many years ago.”
Leonard S.
Senior Volunteer
“Why I like gleaning: It’s useful, fun, outdoors, reduces waste, feeds people. When picking I’m enmeshed in layers of generosity: from those who grow the food; from pickers who give time, work, gas; from distributors; and from many recipients who share the food with family and neighbors.”
Anne G.S.
Monetary Donor
“My daughter is one of your volunteers and she feels strongly about the organization.”
Linda L.
Surplus Food Distributor
“Our clients are delighted to see fresh fruit and more-so when they learn it was donated and picked by neighbors.”
Angela W., Heaven’s Windows
Your Questions Answered
What does the Senior Gleaners organization do?
We provide quality food, otherwise wasted, to those needing it the most while giving meaningful activity to seniors.
How can I contribute to Senior Gleaners?
Volunteer to harvest crops, collect groceries, donate equipment and funds or employ special skills to support our mission.
How do I get started at my first glean?
After you register, a crew leader will contact you and assign you to a glean. They will also provide a brief orientation with helpful tips and information about the property. New grocery volunteers join crews using their own vehicles or a Senior Gleaners van.
Want to give us a try before joining or bringing a friend?
Get a Guest Waiver and give it to the crew leader at the glean. We also require the waiver for ALL minor guests who must be at least five years old.
How are gleans planned?
Our system assigns donors to the crew leader covering their geographic area. We meet or speak with crop owners and discuss logistics before scheduling the glean.
Who should I contact if I have additional questions?
Email info@seniorgleanerssdco.org or call 619.633.9180. We are always happy to assist you.
