Citrus Donation Program Stops Wasted Citrus while Feeding the Hungry

With citrus season fast approaching, one valley food bank has found a solution to both wasted citrus and working towards helping solve hunger.

For the 5^th year in row United Food Bank will be hosting their citrus donation program starting on January 5^th and lasting through February 28^th, said Donna Rodgers the United Food Bank Director of Resource Development.

Rodgers says that each year since the program has started it has increased in both the number of volunteers and the amount of citrus that is getting donated.

“Each year the list of donors grows and last year we took in nearly 1 million pounds of the nutritious fruit from homeowners and nearly 700,000 pounds from Mesa Citrus Growers,” Said Rodgers.

Homeowners who find themselves with a little extra citrus on their hands this year can easily drop off the citrus at the United Food Bank warehouse on 358 E. Javelina in Mesa. Rodgers recommends coming between the business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. so that the fruit can be weighed and the food bank can issue a receipt.

Valley residents hoping to donate citrus should watch out for placing any soiled citrus into donation bins so it will not be mixed in with the fresh citrus that the food bank has already collected.

“We ask that the donors keep a watch out for fruit that may be starting to spoil. Should spoiled fruit be mixed with good fruit, it tends to turn the good fruit bad more quickly. We don’t want to waste the fruit,” Said Rodgers.

There are ways to also help out with the citrus donation program even if you do not have a citrus tree in your yard.

United Food Bank also runs a volunteer picking program where volunteers go pick citrus from growers and also residents with a few trees on their property.

“United Food Bank plays matchmaker with the donor and volunteer groups to arrange a convenient time to glean the fruit from the donors’ trees.  Once a date is scheduled, United Food Bank will arrange to deliver collection containers to the site and will have citrus-picking equipment available for the volunteers.  Once the fruit is picked, United Food Bank will send its truck to pick up the full collection bins,” said Rodgers.

Once the citrus has been collected it will be distributed to United Food Bank’s over 140 agencies and is some cases around Arizona as well as other close states.

Rodgers adds that even though the citrus program is extremely successful in supplying those in need with fruit, it is extremely expensive.

“We need supplies such as collection bins, citrus pickers, etc. and we oftentimes have to rent trucks and drivers to pick up the fruit.  The cost of the program runs about $18,000 per season,” said Rodgers.

To find more information about donating your citrus, volunteering this year to help pick citrus visit, or to make a monetary donation to the food bank visit the United Food Bank Website at http://www.unitedfoodbank.org/

By Heidi McLarty
Guest Contributor from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism

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