Senior Gleaners San Diego County

05/11/2026

SENIOR GLEANERS AT THE CLAIREMONT GARDEN TOUR AND OUT IN THE COMMUNITY!

Senior Gleaners of San Diego County was proud to take part in one of the most successful and well-attended Clairemont Garden Tours, held at St. David’s Church with approximately 750 people in attendance.

Our booth was right at the entry and highly visible, giving us a wonderful opportunity to meet visitors as they arrived. Many stopped to ask questions, learn more about our work, and exchange ideas about reducing food waste, rescuing fresh fruit, and helping provide nutritious food to neighbors in need.

We would like to thank Daryush, Cheri Gabler, Duane and Jane Jensen, and Pradip Mistry for manning the booth, answering questions, and representing Senior Gleaners so beautifully.

Senior Gleaners has also been busy sharing our mission at other community events, including the Avocado Festival in Fallbrook and the Goodwill Sustainability Fair. At each event, our volunteers helped more people learn about the services we provide and the role gleaning plays in building a more sustainable, caring, and connected community.

Events like these help us expand our outreach, strengthen community connections, and share our mission of reducing food waste while supporting a healthier, more sustainable San Diego County.

04/27/2026

Congratulations to Daryush Bastani of Senior Gleaners of San Diego County on being named one of the Volunteers of the Year by the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors—an honor given to only a select few outstanding volunteers.

Since 2018, Daryush has served as a District Lead and Vice President of the Board, dedicating an incredible 2,163 hours of service. Under his leadership, his district alone has collected over 2 million pounds of fruit, helping feed families across our region while reducing food waste.

His commitment, leadership, and impact truly represent the best of what volunteer service can achieve. This recognition is so well deserved!

👏 Please join us in congratulating Daryush on this remarkable achievement.

🎥 Watch the award presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/live/oDSM35_Y4Hk

04/20/2026

🍊 Corporate Giving in Action: Thank You, Cox Communications!

We were thrilled to welcome a team of 15 incredible employees from Cox Communications to our Pick for a Purpose program with Senior Gleaners!

In just a few hours, this amazing group harvested over 900 pounds of fresh fruit — including oranges, lemons, tangerines and kumquats — right here in San Diego. 🌿

That fruit didn’t go to waste. It was quickly delivered to three local food pantry and distribution centers, helping provide fresh, nutritious food to families throughout our community.

This is what corporate giving looks like at its best — hands in the soil, teamwork in action, and a direct, meaningful impact.
To the Cox team: thank you for showing up, giving back, and making a difference where it matters most. 🙌

If your company is looking for a hands-on way to give back, join us for a future Pick for a Purpose day. The impact is real — and so is the joy.

04/10/2026

🌟 Chula Vista-based volunteers from Senior Gleaners Featured in the Spring 2026 AIS Community Newsletter! 🌟

Read the article here:https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/CASAND/2026/04/08/file_attachments/3611657/Spring%202026%20AIS%20Community%20Newsletter%20Final.pdf

We’re honored to share that Senior Gleaners of San Diego County is featured in the Spring 2026 Aging & Independence Services Community Newsletter in a wonderful story titled: “It’s a Joy: Giving Back and Gaining Community through Senior Gleaners.”

The article beautifully captures what makes Senior Gleaners so special—not only the incredible impact our volunteers make in rescuing fresh food for neighbors in need, but also the friendships, purpose, laughter, and community they find along the way.

🍊 In 2025, Senior Gleaners provided more than 1.25 million servings of food to individuals and families across San Diego County, helping reduce food waste while nourishing our community.

Featured volunteers Carol and John McKay, Sue Hamilton, and Robin Perrino remind us that Senior Gleaners is about so much more than picking fruit:
💛 It’s about connection.
💛 It’s about staying active and engaged.
💛 It’s about neighbors helping neighbors.

As Carol says in the article: “It’s a joy!”

If you are 55 or older and looking for a meaningful way to give back—or if you have excess fruit on your trees to donate—we invite you to join this growing community of caring volunteers.

📖 Read about us in the AIS Spring 2026 Newsletter
🌿 Learn more or volunteer at: seniorgleanerssdco.org

Thank you to Aging & Independence Services for shining a light on the work of our amazing volunteers!

Read the full article here:

https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/CASAND/2026/04/08/file_attachments/3611657/Spring%202026%20AIS%20Community%20Newsletter%20Final.pdf

03/26/2026

Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club awards Senior Gleaners with $4,470 grant!!!!

We’re honored and grateful to share that Senior Gleaners of San Diego County has received a generous $4,470 grant from the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club!

This funding will directly support our Safe Harvest Initiative —helping us equip our amazing volunteer crews with the tools they need to safely rescue fresh fruit across San Diego County and get it into the hands of families who need it most.

Thanks to this grant, we’ll be able to:
🍊 Outfit new volunteers with essential harvesting tools
🌳 Replace worn equipment to keep our crews safe and efficient
📱 Upgrade our communication system to schedule more harvests, faster

Every piece of fruit we rescue means less waste, fewer greenhouse gases, and more fresh, healthy food reaching our community.

With over 220,000 pounds of produce gleaned last year, this support helps us continue growing that impact—and making a real difference for the 1 in 4 households facing food insecurity in San Diego.

💛 A heartfelt thank you to the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club for believing in our mission and investing in a healthier, more connected community.

03/21/2026

Senior Gleaners had a great time and a successful event at Mt. Helix Nature Day, held at the top of Mt. Helix!

Our booth was in a prime location as visitors arrived, which brought a steady and engaging flow of guests throughout the day.

We had the pleasure of connecting with so many people curious about our mission—rescuing fruit, feeding those in need, and reducing food waste. It was inspiring to see how many attendees were interested in volunteering and supporting the work we do.

We also shared important information about the recent Mexican fruit fly infestation, helping visitors understand current quarantine restrictions and how they may impact fruit harvesting in certain areas.

Events like this are powerful opportunities for outreach—bringing awareness to food recovery while building connections with the community we serve.

🙏 A special thank you to Mike Marsolais, Anne Gero Stillwell and Daryush Bastani for showing up, sharing their knowledge, and representing Senior Gleaners so beautifully. Your time and enthusiasm made a real difference!

03/12/2026

San Diego County recently followed our South Bay team from the trees where we donated the harvest at Olivewood Gardens in National City! Check out the new video of our good work!

The County is dedicated to helping older adults stay independent, safe, healthy and engaged. For the past three decades, a local group of senior volunteers has found a sweet way to do that – while providing fresh produce to their community.

03/05/2026

Senior Gleaners’ Daryush Bastani Named as a San Diego County Volunteer of the Year!

🎉 We are thrilled to share that Daryush Bastani — our tireless board member, Central District lead, photographer, and public outreach coordinator — has been honored as a County of San Diego Board of Supervisors’ Annual Volunteer of the Year!

Out of scores of nominations, Daryush is one of only two honorees representing San Diego County’s Aging & Independence Services.

RSVP Program Coordinator Pam Plimpton shared:
“Daryush is our chosen Super Star to represent the RSVP program! We are proud to honor him and showcase all of his work, along with the work of his fellow Senior Gleaners.”

📅 Celebrate with us!
Daryush will be recognized along with other county program honorees at the San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting:

April 21 | 8:30 AM
📍 County Administration Building
Board Chambers – 3rd Floor

While seating in the chambers is limited, supporters can also cheer Daryush on from overflow seating in Room 302 or from the viewing deck.

🅿️ Free parking is available underground at Waterfront Park.

Daryush is more than a volunteer — he is truly the heartbeat of our organization’s operations and public presence.

As Board President Pradip Mistry put it:
“If gleaning were an Olympic sport, Daryush would take the gold.”

👏 Congratulations, Daryush! We are so proud of you and grateful for everything you do for Senior Gleaners and our community.f

02/26/2026

SENIOR GLEANERS LOVES OUR VOLUNTEERS!

Join us for our annual Volunteer Appreciation Potluck, Saturday, May 9, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

And to all our volunteers - We are truly grateful for all the hard work and dedication you put into supporting our community. Your efforts make a meaningful difference, and we look forward to celebrating you with a fun-filled day of appreciation, door prizes and connection!

So please join us for a fun volunteer Appreciation Lunch and help celebrate our many blessings together!

Volunteer Appreciation Potluck (Bring a dish to share)

Saturday, May 9, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Cathy Hopper Clairemont Friendship Center
4435 Bannock Avenue
San Diego, CA 92117

We’re excited to gather, share, and celebrate all that you do. Thank you for being such an important part of our community — we can’t wait to see you there!

02/13/2026

Wow! 2025 was a record year for Senior Gleaners! Thanks to the incredible dedication of our volunteers, Senior Gleaners of San Diego County harvested a record-breaking 419,056 pounds of fresh fruit in 2025 🎉

That’s up from 363,182 pounds in 2024—a powerful reminder of what happens when community, compassion, and commitment come together.

Every pound represents:

Fresh, nutritious food rescued from going to waste

Support for families, seniors, and food-insecure neighbors

Volunteers showing up with heart, ladders, and a whole lot of love 💚

We are deeply grateful to every picker, tree owner, partner, and supporter who made this historic year possible. This is what abundance looks like—shared.

👉 Want to be part of the next record? Check out all the ways you can help at https://seniorgleanerssdco.org/donate/