In San Diego in the United States, Nita Kurmins Gilson is a woman who is bringing fresh fruit to thousands of San Diegans in need. In 2009, she learned that one in six people in her county were going to bed hungry, and she also saw an abundance of fresh produce going to waste all over the city.

Nita decided to be part of the solution for both food waste and hunger, and began by picking excess fruit from neighbourhood trees and hand-delivering them to local food pantries. The venture began as “one woman, one box, and one car” and has expanded to 300 volunteers, and together they have harvested over 100,000 pounds of fresh fruit.

In addition to fruit trees, they also harvest excess crops from local small farms, and collect unsold produce from weekly farmers markets.

All of this produce goes to feed children, families, seniors, veterans, and the homeless in need. Nita also speaks to local communities about sustainability and food justice, and she has since co-founded ‘CropSwap’ with the mission to feed the hungry and reduce waste.

Fresh Fruit That Would Have Been Waste, Now Feeding A Community