One of the main issues facing local food banks and the clients who rely on them is a lack of fresh produce. Commonly donated items tend to be canned and dry goods, which are great, but don’t make for a very well rounded diet.

Fortunately, there are numerous ways to help stock food banks with healthy, fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Programs such as Solid Ground’s Lettuce Link aim to improve access to fresh produce to low-income individuals in Seattle. Lettuce Link coordinates with local P-Patch gardeners to plant extra rows of produce for food banks and meals programs, donates the harvest of their urban farm to local food banks, and harvests fruit from backyard fruit trees to donate to food banks.

Another local organization, City Fruit, educates residents on how to care for their fruit trees so that they can give donate their surplus fruit. They even have a fruit tree mapping feature where you can map your tree and sign up to either volunteer or have volunteers harvest your tree for you.

In addition to these programs, there are numerous P-Patch gardens throughout the city that would love some volunteer help maintaining their plots.

If gardening isn’t your thing, you can also help rescue produce from Pike Place Market and other Farmer’s Markets for distribution to food banks or simply Donate your fruit tree to Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle.

With spring upon us (sooner rather than later, I hope) now is the time to start thinking about some creative ways to turn your green thumb into a tool to combat hunger in our community. Below are a few more resources and volunteer opportunities that may be of interest:

• Growing Produce For Others – What to Grow and Where to Give It
• Volunteers help homeowners with fruit trees
• Volunteer with Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle
• Recover Produce with Harvest Against Hunger
• Volunteer to Garden at Marra Farm
• Garden with Seniors in Rainier Valley
• Serve on the board of Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle