Newsletter – 2022 In Review

Wishing you a joyous Christmas! 

2022 IN REVIEW: Thank you to everyone who contributed to a successful 2022 gleaning season — those who were able to glean, those who offered crops to glean and those who supported us financially. We ended the season with 60,600 lbs of fresh produce for our community! This total equates to more than 174,000 individual servings of food…nutritious food that would otherwise have gone to waste.

The produce was shared with Tri-Cities Food Banks (Kennewick, Richland & Benton City), St. Vincent de Paul, SOZO Food Bank, Salvation Army, Grace Clinic, My Friends Place, Mirror Ministries, Soul Soup, 2 micro-pantries & the Colligium Cafe. (Did you know the Tri-Cities Food Bank alone serves more than 10,500 clients a year in our community?) ​

The gleaning season started in June with the Farmers Markets and picking cherries.  We moved on to apricots, peaches, plums, grapes, Italian prunes, sweet corn, onions and apples.  And the season ended October 28 with our traditional squash gleaning at Job’s Nursery. Special thanks this season goes to Cheri Baker for really stepping up to help coordinate gleaning events along with our dedicated expert master gleaning coordinator Rob Koenig.  Their servant’s hearts are a true blessing to this ministry. 

New Executive Director: Earlier this year, Lisa Willams announced she was relocating out of the area and stepping down after four years as Executive Director.  The Fields of Grace Board of Directors is excited to announce the hiring of the next Executive Director–please welcome Ettie Blankingship.

Ettie’s background and experience includes a bachelor of science degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon, and working as a marketing assistant for an insurance company, and volunteer coordinator at Second Harvest. A mother of two, Ettie and her family live in Richland.

She already is representing Fields of Grace this month at the annual Alternative Gift Fair and a Nonprofit Showcase event with the Pasco Chamber of Commerce. 

As 2022 draws to a close and we count our blessings during this holiday season, Fields of Grace is blessed by all it’s volunteers (gleaners, farmer’s market workers, transportation drivers), our dedicated board of directors, all those who share their crops for gleaning, and for our partner agencies & their volunteers who help distribute the produce to those in need in our community.  We look forward to teaming again next year as we work to feed our community and reduce food waste.

CHRISTMAS CARDS: We have beautiful new Fields of Grace Christmas Cards available. Give the Gift of Healthy Food! Provide fresh produce to those in need while giving someone a beautiful Fields of Grace Christmas card.

Artwork for the card was painted for us by Fields of Grace volunteer Darlene Brazell.

Make a donation of $25 (500 servings), $50 (1,000 servings), $75 (1,200 servings) or $100 (2,400 servings) in honor of someone special on your holiday list. Your donation helps us provide servings of fresh fruits and vegetables to local food banks. To arrange a purchase, contact us at admin@fields-of-grace.com.

The cards have been purchased to thank medical providers & teachers, show appreciation to co-workers & management teams, recognize volunteers in the mission field & to honor special people. How might you use a special “alternative holiday gift?”