Sending A BERRY Big Thank You!

A Record-Breaking Season For Blueberries

This week, Willing Hands held its final blueberry glean of the season. What a bountiful harvest it’s been!

Over seven weeks, Willing Hands volunteers gleaned 2,635 pounds of blueberries from our partner farms and orchards. That’s the most blueberries gleaned by Willing Hands since 2017—and the most ever!

Volunteers Made It Possible

It took a lot of volunteer power to make this long, hot blueberry season so impactful. Despite the intense heat and humidity, volunteers enthusiastically showed up for 30 gleaning sessions across the region.

In total, 104 volunteers picked more than a ton of blueberries. Collectively, they gave 317 hours to ensure this sweet harvest could be shared throughout the community.

Each volunteer makes a real difference in the amount of food we can deliver. Their commitment to helping neighbors access fresh food is truly inspiring.

Big Generosity, Big Impact

This record-breaking season wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of local farms, orchards, and private landowners who welcomed our gleaning volunteers. Thanks to them, blueberries made their way to food shelves and hunger-relief organizations across the Upper Valley, where they were shared with neighbors facing food insecurity.

What Does One Ton Of Blueberries Look Like?

Willing Hands tracks food donations by pounds, but here’s what 2,635 pounds of blueberries really means:

1.3 million berries for snacking.

Roughly 3,000 pints for families to take home.

Between $12,000 and $15,000 worth of blueberries donated to hunger-relief partners.

Looking Ahead

Thanks to the dedication of volunteers, farms, donors, and community partners, Willing Hands is on track to deliver over one million pounds of fresh food in 2025. Together, we are making a powerful impact on food insecurity in the Upper Valley.

From all of us at Willing Hands, thank you for being a part of this work!