The Roots of Ruth’s Gleanings

Ruth’s Gleanings is inspired by the Book of Ruth in the Bible, and by the background command in Leviticus 23:22 that states, “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings left behind. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.” The Law goes on to add the widow and the orphan to that command that lays out God’s prescription for feeding the people who may find themselves on the edges of society, or even left behind. These are the people that Ruth’s Gleanings serves as we seek ensure everyone has a seat at the table of God’s great feast.
GLEAN: Gather what is left by the harvesters; to learn bit by bit.

Our mission is to empower people in nutritional poverty by increasing access to healthy, fresh food. We do this through our signature Gleaning program of food rescue as well as our FoodShare program, a bi-weekly box of purchased fresh produce, much of which is locally and regionally grown. The food we rescue through gleaning is donated to partner organizations who are already feeding people. The food that goes into our FoodShare boxes is sourced by purchasing from local and regional farmers and distributors.

It is our heart to feed people not only physically, but spiritually as well. We believe that a steady diet of processed foods causes nutritional poverty, and a steady diet of processed “daily bread” of the Word causes spiritual poverty. We encourage people to eat from the source, by eating fresh foods the way God created them, and by reading the Bible for themselves.

“So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening….” Ruth 2:17

Many blessings,
Tonja Ruth