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Men glean cabbage, bag potatoes for Indiana's
hungry
July 21, 2005
By Linda Green and Matthew Oates*
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (UMNS)-- Armed with knives, gloves, boxes, strong backs and
bended knees, nearly 20 United Methodist men were part of system to get food to
the hungry in Indiana.
The men, attending the 9th National Gathering of United Methodist Men at Purdue
University, July 15-17, gleaned cabbage at the 2,800-acre farm of Levi Huffman.
The 20,000 pounds of cabbage collected July 15 were sent to Food Finders Inc.,
to be distributed to the hungry in 10 Indiana counties.
Later in the day, 75 men sorted 38,000 pounds of North Carolina potatoes in the
stadium parking lot at Purdue University. The potatoes, after being unloaded
from the truck in 50-pound bags, were placed into 15-pound bags, bound for food
pantries in north central Indiana.
The gleaning of the Huffman cabbage field and the bagging of potatoes was to
simply "help feed the hungry in Jesus' name," said David McCleary, the hunger
relief advocate for North Indiana Annual (regional) Conference, a program of the
United Methodist Commission on United Methodist Men and the Society of St.
Andrew.
McCleary, one of 25 hunger relief advocates in United Methodist annual
conferences across the United States, helps coordinate the gleaning of fields
for vegetables that are distributed to food agencies to feed the hungry.
The gleaning and bagging at the national gathering of men was important because
"it shows that we have a connection and that our connection is ecumenical to
help feed hungry people," he said.
Many of those participating in the potato drop were first-timers at sorting
potatoes, as well as first-time attendees of the men's gatherings.
Paul Hoffman, 19, of South Haven, Mich., was surprised at how many potatoes were
in the truck. "That's a bunch of potatoes," he said while sorting. "This sounded
interesting so I decided to participate. I was interested in helping out the
community."
Jan Lemler of Bourbon, Ind., was enjoying the fellowship and camaraderie of the
drop. "I know there's a tremendous need, and it is good to see foodstuffs not
going to waste," said Lemler. "I'm happy to serve, and there's joy in serving
and giving."
Gleaning activities through the Society of St. Andrew provide opportunities for
United Methodist men to assist in "gathering the more than 96 billion pounds of
food that is wasted annually in the United States through mechanical
harvesting," McCleary said.
"We go out and glean a lot of potatoes that are left standing on top of the
ground after a potato harvest (and) tomatoes after a tomato harvest. Otherwise,
that is produce that is going to go to waste and it might as well go to the
hungry people.
"Our economy has turned around, but it has turned around for the rich and it has
turned around for the middle class, but poor people are still poor for whatever
reason." He noted that at least 36 million people go to bed or get up hungry in
the United States.
Since gleaning of fields is not a task that everyone can perform, each of the
2,200 men in attendance at the gathering was encouraged to bring five cans of
soup or nonperishable packaged food for local food banks. At the conclusion of
the men's conference, more than 5,000 pounds of canned goods had been collected.
Huffman donated his cabbage field for gleaning by United Methodist Men to
further the family's mission of "helping those that are needy," he said.
In addition to produce, Huffman also raises hogs. Each quarter, he gives meat
from a sow to the food bank of a local church for distribution.
*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
Oates serves as the North Indiana correspondent for Indiana Area Communications.
News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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