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Fresh From Farm to Neighbor: Hillsdale Farmers’ Market Gleaning

“The main thing I would like the community to realize is how much of a need there is.”

By Anii Nwizu

Every Sunday, the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market buzzes with energy as local farms bring in their fresh harvests for the community. But once the market winds down, something just as amazing happens behind the scenes. Volunteers known as gleaners collect leftover produce generously donated by the farmers, load up crates, and deliver them straight to Neighborhood House’s Free Food Market. By Monday morning, neighbors in need are able to enjoy crisp, fresh produce grown just a few miles away.

This cycle of generosity has added up in a big way. So far this year alone, the Free Food Market has received 2,549 pounds of donated produce from Hillsdale Farmers’ Market vendors. That is an incredible amount of fresh, local food reaching our neighbors thanks to the dedication of farmers, volunteers, and the market team.

We are especially grateful to Assistant Market Manager Adam Sunshine, who plays a key role in making sure everything runs smoothly. Adam helps coordinate between farms, vendors, gleaners, and organizations like ours. His commitment to the community shows up every week in the seamless process that gets food from the market to the people who need it most.

Carol Hall, a longtime gleaner and Neighborhood House supporter, described the process: “We pick up the crates around noon at the Free Food Market. Usually 18 to 20 crates. We use wagons to fill them up and drop them off to different farmers. After about 15 minutes the farmers are ready, and we load them into our cars—sometimes one or two vehicles—and take them back. If perishable, it goes straight into the refrigerator.”

For Carol, the heart of gleaning is simple: “The main thing I would like the community to realize is how much of a need there is. People of all ages, elders, young people, need support. The farmers are generous and very dedicated to their craft, and gleaning helps ensure their food reaches the neighbors who need it most.”

For gleaners like Diane McDevitt and Scott Lyons, who have volunteered for six years, the reward is seeing both sides of the process. “We know what it looks like on the other end. When people come in and get that food. It’s really rewarding being able to pick up fresh local food and drop it off at the Free Food Market,” Scott shared. Diane added, “Experiencing the generosity of the vendors and knowing where it’s going—it just feels like a wholesome time, and it’s very important right now.”

Their favorite memories are often rooted in the connections they have built with farmers. Scott reflected, “We have a daughter who has an urban farm in Syracuse. She visited the market with us and was able to share ideas and experiences with the farmers here.” For Diane, it’s the ongoing relationships that matter: “We’ve seen Chloe at Barn Frog and her family from Indiana who come every year to help with the farm. We’ve gotten to know them in a special way.” This is a great testament to how there’s a network of care and generosity that goes far beyond the market.

If you’d like to learn more or get involved, we welcome you to join the gleaner team and Free Food Market team. You can find details on volunteer roles such as sorting, delivery, and garden work on the Neighborhood House website www.nhpdx.org. You can also reach out directly to our Volunteer & Community Engagement Specialist at Volunteer@nhpdx.org to ask about upcoming shifts or opportunities.

The partnership between farmers, volunteers, and the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market is a beautiful example of community in action. We are deeply thankful for every farm, every gleaner, and every helping hand that makes it possible.

I started using the Free Food Market. I learned about more programs that could help us. But the biggest change wasn’t the services themselves.

It was how I was treated. 

For the first time in my entire life, I was met with dignity. 

I wasn’t talked down to. I wasn’t made to feel ashamed for needing help. I wasn’t forced to “prove” I deserved to survive. At Neighborhood House, people spoke to me with genuine respect, something I have so often not been given, simply due to my circumstances. That changed everything. Even now, it still brings tears to my eyes. 

When you’re disabled, when you’re parenting alone, when you’re just trying to get through the day without falling apart…asking for help is hard. Being treated with kindness backed by action? It’s life-changing. 

That kindness empowered me. 
I joined the Head Start Policy Council. 
I became involved in statewide advocacy work. 
And eventually, when someone asked if I would consider joining the Neighborhood House Board, I said yes. 

Being on the board fills a need I’ve carried my whole life: the deep need to give back. There is so little any one person can do alone. But when we connect, when we come together as a community, everything becomes possible. 

People sometimes ask me why services like Neighborhood House still matter. 

My answer is simple: 

Because income inequality is growing. 
Because our systems do not prioritize people in poverty. 
Because without places like Neighborhood House, people really would go hungry. Children would go without resources necessary to thrive. Housing insecure families would be turned out into the streets. 
And that is simply not acceptable.

Until we change the systems that create these conditions in the first place, we need community-based organizations that keep people alive, keep families housed, and treat every neighbor with dignity.

And there’s one more thing I want you to know:

No one chooses this. 

Everyone is doing the best they can. 
Sometimes people just need a little boost.

When you donate or volunteer at Neighborhood House, it is truly life changing. You may never meet every person you help—but please know there are so many of us who feel overwhelmed with gratitude because these services exist.

I am one of them.

So today, as we close out the year, I’m asking you to help more neighbors like me.

Here’s how you can help right now: 

  • Make a gift today — your support goes directly to families who need it most.
  • Start a food dr​ive — our Food Security Program is a lifeline and always needs support. 
  • Share my letter with a friend who believes in a more just and caring community.

Thank you for believing in this work.

Thank you for believing in people like me. 

With gratitude,

Love 
Board Member & Program Participant 
Neighborhood House 

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