Orchard Now Delivering to Homes

During this unprecedented time, we have made the decision to serve our communities by delivering fresh fruit and snack boxes to people’s homes.

Orchard At The Office has delivered fresh fruit to offices since 2010 and we are still delivering to offices that remain open during the COVID-19 crisis. In an attempt to “flatten the curve” and prevent widespread illness, many offices have temporarily closed. Thousands of people in our community cannot safely shop in public.

Social Distancing

Home delivery will allow us to provide fresh fruit and healthy snacks to vulnerable populations like seniors and people with compromised immune systems.  It will enable people who are self-quarantined due to recent travel, illness or possible exposure to COVID-19 to receive fresh fruit that may be out of stock from local grocery store delivery services. It also allows us to continue to employ our outstanding delivery drivers and staff, many of whom have been part of the Orchard team for 5+ years.

Many families are suddenly homeschooling since schools and daycare facilities are closed for an indeterminate period. Parents are juggling remote work responsibilities and children’s learning needs. Getting to the store is much more difficult with several children in tow. Plus, unboxing a snack box filled with healthy treats adds excitement and joy to a monotonous day in self-isolation.

Workplace Safety is Paramount

We are committed to following the CDC Guidelines for workplace safety. Our fruit is supplied by our trusted wholesale partners, not the local grocery store, so our delivery professionals are not exposed to large groups of people.  Deliveries are made to the doorstep to ensure 6 feet of social distance is maintained and we never enter a customer’s residence.

We look forward to serving our customers when their offices reopen and we will continue to serve our community members at home as long as the need exists.

Suddenly Homeschooling? Free Resources to Help You Get Started

Homeschooling due to school closure

Thousands of American families find themselves suddenly homeschooling due to COVID 19-related school closures.  In addition to running a successful small business, our family has been homeschooling our four children since 2005. We have curated a comprehensive list of free homeschooling, educational and recreational resources for K-12 students. Whether you need help explaining an Algebra problem to your high schooler, phonics practice for your second grader or science videos for your middle schooler, there is a site below to help you.

 

FREE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

123 Homeschool for Me

https://www.123homeschool4me.com/home-school-free-printables/

Free printable worksheets and educational activities to help to make learning fun. Resources arranged by grade or subject.

 

ActivEd, Inc

http://info.activedinc.com/covid

Walkabouts, web-based lessons for pre-K to second-grade students that integrate movement with language arts, math, and reading content

 

Actively Learn

https://www.activelylearn.com/post/remote-learning

Actively Learn is a web-based reading platform that helps students read deeply and think critically, with thousands of texts and associated instruction in ELA, Science, and Social Studies.

 

Age of Learning (ABCMouse, Adventure Academy, ReadingIQ)

https://www.ageoflearning.com/schools

 

All Kids Network

https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/

Free educational resources, worksheets, writing prompts, themed coloring pages, craft and snack ideas for parents, teachers & caregivers.

 

American Panorama

https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/

Digital Atlas of America uses online GIS to explore and visualize data with maps.

 

Arcademics

https://www.arcademics.com/

Boost student engagement & fact fluency with our free multiplayer educational games, math games, language arts games, and more!

 

Artrageous with Nate

www.youtube.com/artrageouswithnate

Interactive videos meant to stimulate creativity and hands-on activities at home.

 

Ascend Math

https://ascendmath.com/coronavirus-offer/

K to 12 math instructional resource Ascend Math offers award-winning math instruction that provides an individual study plan for each student. Ascend Math’s study plans are unique to each student, prescriptive, adaptive, and automatically assigned.

 

Biology Simulations

www.biologysimulations.com

Simulations and virtual labs for biology topics including evolution, ecology, and cellular energetics

 

BrainPop

https://educators.brainpop.com/2020/02/19/free-brainpop-access-for-schools-affected-by-the-corona-virus/?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=coronavirus&utm_content=free-access

BrainPop features engaging learning games, animated movies and activities.

 

Brave Writer

https://blog.bravewriter.com/2020/03/13/needing-support-due-to-covid-19/

Free writing resources.

 

Breakout

https://www.breakoutedu.com/funathome

Collection of digital games

 

CanFigureIt Geometry

https://www.canfigureit.com/

Easy-to-use workspace where students can practice proofs while exercising their deductive reasoning muscles

 

CaroneLearning

https://caronelearning.com/covid-19/

K-12 Health and Physical Education courses

 

Centervention

https://www.centervention.com/

We offer game-based interventions that focus on improving social and emotional skills in K-8 students

 

CheckMath

http://www.checkmath.eu

CheckMath tells you where you made a mistake.

 

CircleTime Fun

https://circletimefun.com/

Learn and bond with your 1- 6-year-old.

 

Classroom Cereal

https://www.classroomcereal.com/

Grammar practice in free, printable short stories.

 

Club SciKidz MD

http://www.clubscikidzmd.com/blog/

Daily free science or cooking experiment to do at home.

 

Collisons Chemistry

https://www.playmadagames.com/

System of digital games, grounded in the rules of chemistry, that can be used to introduce, teach, and review key concepts in chemistry.

 

CommonLit

https://www.commonlit.org/

Reading passages for grades 3-12, with reading comprehension and discussion questions

 

Conjugemos

https://conjuguemos.com/

“Use without account” option has vocabulary, grammar, listening activities and games in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Korean, and Latin.

 

Creating a Masterpiece

https://creatingamasterpiece.com/product/drawing-program-2/

Fine art training program for students ages 5 and up. Drawing Program is free with the code: Corona2020

 

Curriculum Associates

https://www.curriculumassociates.com/supporting-students-away-from-school

Free printable K-8 Reading and Math activity packs (available in English and Spanish)

 

DeltaMath

https://deltamath.com/overview

Free website for teachers and students covering a wide range of math content from middle school through AP Calculus.

Digital Theatre Plus

https://www.digitaltheatreplus.com/education

Access to some of the world’s finest productions, unique backstage insights, practitioner interviews and written analysis.

 

Discovery K12

http://discoveryk12.com/dk12/

Complete online curriculum for pre-k to 12th grade. All main subjects are covered, plus extra curriculum courses.

 

DreamBox Learning Math

www.dreambox.com/at-home

K-8 online math program that looks at how a student is solving problems to adjust accordingly and build a unique learning path for them.

 

EBLI

https://eblireads.com/non-fiction-read-alouds/

Non-Fiction Read Alouds for PreK-12th Graders

 

Everydae SAT Prep

https://everydae.com/?utm_source=resource_sheet&utm_medium=spreadsheet&utm_campaign=school_closures

Everydae is an online SAT math prep program that uses 10-minute micro lessons to match busy schedules. Use code HOMEPREP when you sign up through this link: http://bit.ly/2xrVchc

 

ExploreLearning Reflex

https://www.reflexmath.com/trial

Adaptive and individualized for grades 2-6, Reflex is the most effective system for mastering basic math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Free 30-day trial.

 

ExploreLearning Science4Us

https://www.science4us.com/trial/

covers Inquiry, Physical Science, Life Science and Earth & Space Science with lessons specifically designed for K-2 students. Free 30-day trial.

 

Facts4Me

https://www.facts4me.com

A safe research site for elementary-level readers.

 

Fluency & Fitness

https://fluencyandfitness.com/register/school-closures/

Provides educational brain breaks to help burn off extra energy. Ages 4-8.

 

Freckle

https://www.freckle.com/

Multiple subjects with differentiation for K-12.

 

GoNoodle

https://www.gonoodle.com/

Movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts.

 

Handwriting Heroes

https://appytherapy.com/handwriting-heroes/

Multisensory handwriting program that teaches children how to form their letters through animations, stories and song.

 

HippoCampus

https://hippocampus.org/

Explore over 7,000 free videos in 13 subject areas

 

i-Ready

https://www.curriculumassociates.com/supporting-students-away-from-school

free printable K-8 Math and Reading packets for students

 

IXL

https://www.ixl.com/membership/teachers/trial/closure

Comprehensive K-12 curriculum.

 

Izzit

Izzit.org

FREE, high-quality educational materials

 

K-5 Math Teaching Resources

https://www.k-5mathteachingresources.com

K-5 math resources clearly sorted by grade and standard that are easy to download and print at home.

 

Khan Academy

https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school

Free, award-winning online education program.

 

Kids Discover Online

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8FeuVh5AwwY5S5gkSN7Dw_tWpRneVdq1FhGyYvCO1N83cug/viewform?vero_id=kdo1880662&vero_conv=DkrC-H3AHXmsRWwMpvELoS067gYxZI3gCO2Am6Tx-g30eb3QJC5zS57pJ5UxI_RMPRKPShL2NkZRP0avfhAK4LV0J5ZwSgb0jQ%3D%3D

Award-winning library of science and social studies materials.

 

LearnAwesome

https://learnawesome.org

A repository of links to learning resources organized by topics and formats.

 

Little Twisters Yoga & Emotional Wellness

https://littletwistersyoga.com/online-store/

Free at-home kids yoga lesson plans

 

Magic Spell by Brainbox Games

https://brainbox.games/

Magic Spell is a carefully crafted spelling adventure

 

Marco Learning

https://marcolearning.com/

Free full-length practice tests, free lesson plans, and free study guides for AP students.

 

Massolit

https://www.massolit.io/

Over 2,800 short curriculum relevant video lectures designed and delivered by top university academics covering English Literature, History, Classics, Psychology, Philosophy, and Government and Politics.

 

MathCelebrity

https://www.mathcelebrity.com/online-math-tutor.php

Automated online math tutor. Enter your math problem or search term, press the button, and see the step-by-step work and answer instantly. 2nd grade through college.

 

Math Playground

https://www.mathplayground.com

Provides hundreds of math games, logic puzzles and educational resources.

 

Minecraft: Education Edition

https://education.minecraft.net/

Game-based learning platform that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive digital environment.

 

MobyMax

https://www.mobymax.com

Find and fix learning gaps.

 

Music Theory

https://www.musictheory.net/

Introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, exercises, ear trainers, and calculators.

 

Mystery Science

https://mysteryscience.com/school-closure-planning

Free, easy science lessons for remote learning.

 

New American History

https://www.newamericanhistory.org/

Digital learning resources and tools developed by Dr. Ed Ayers for American History/Geography/Current Events.

 

Nitro Type

https://www.nitrotype.com/

Students improve the foundational skill of typing by competing in fast-paced races against users from around the world.

 

NoRedInk

https://www.noredink.com/

Develop better writers. Includes diagnostic tools and assessments, targeted skills practice, a writing platform that guides students through the drafting and revision process, and instructional resources for teachers.

 

Novel Effect

https://noveleffect.com/

As you read out loud from print books (or ebooks!) music, sound effects and character voices play at just the right moment, adjusting and responding to your voice.

 

Olive Book

https://www.olive-book.com/pages/the-olive-book-home

SAT and ACT test prep for visual learners – no screen scribble, no tripod teachers, comprehensive content.

 

ParagraphPunch

http://paragraphpunch.com

Teaches students how to write a paragraph online

 

PBS Learning Media

https://kera.pbslearningmedia.org/

Free, PreK-12 digital media service featuring 30,000 learning materials aligned to state and national standards, including 25,000+ videos, interactive lesson plans, media galleries and more.

PebbleGo by Capstone

https://pebblego.com/free-pebblego-capstone-interactive-access-school-closures?fbclid=IwAR0ldr6TT3grhEDzJ_fEpYvNGG13kqYo5ogwEqYneW7QBkX8L4u7cEIS0nE

Curricular content hub specifically designed for K-3 students. Packed with informational articles, ready-made activities, and literacy supports for students of all abilities, it boosts engagement and fosters independent learning in core subject areas.

 

Phonics Hero

https://www.phonicshero.com/

Phonics Hero teaches school-aged children to read and spell with systematic phonics. Using a step-by-step approach, the 850 games teach children the 44 sounds, the reading and spelling of words, and how to conquer sentences. Available on tablets and computers.

 

Pinna

https://pinna.fm/

Screen-free, ad-free audio streaming service custom-made for kids 3-12, featuring podcasts, audiobooks and music. Use the promo code PINNA4KIDS  To activate, create an account and enter the code in step 2 of the signup process. Two months for free.

 

Positive Physics

https://www.positivephysics.org/home

An online physics problem and video bank designed for conceptual, standard, honors or AP1 physics.

 

Prodigy

https://www.prodigygame.com

Prodigy is a curriculum-aligned math game for grades 1-8.

 

Readers 4SC

readers4sc.org

A critical thinking activity that incorporates novels and famous books, argumentation, and key themes together. Lesson plan, suggest topics per book, and publishing students’ work on the website are all free.

 

ReadWorks

https://www.readworks.org/

Online resource of reading passages and lesson plans for students of all levels K-12.

 

Red T Media

https://marketplace.mythinkscape.com/store/redtkids

Critical Thinking resources for K-6 students

 

Rock Hall EDU

https://edu.rockhall.com/

Free resources like videos, playlists, essays, lesson plans, writing prompts, and digitized materials from our Library & Archives.

 

SelfCad

https://www.selfcad.com/

3D CAD web application.

 

Shurley English

https://www.shurley.com/

The Shurley English program for grades K-8 provides a clear, logical, and concrete approach to language arts. The Shurley English Digital Edition will be offered to teachers and students for free. This offer includes complete video instruction for each lesson through our Shurley English Digital Assistant: SEDA. No code required.

 

Sight Reading Factory

https://www.sightreadingfactory.com/

SightReadingFactory.com makes practicing the important skill of sight-reading easy, effective and fun! This cloud-based service allows you to customize and generate unlimited sight reading examples instantly, on-demand for music educators, students and hobbyists of all ages and abilities. Free through June 30, 2020.

 

Smore Magazine

https://www.smoremagazine.com/product/smore-magazine-subscription-digital/

STEM magazine for ages 9+. Offering a Free Annual Subscription to Smore Digital (6 issues) until March 31st, 2020 with the use of code FREESMORE.

 

Spelling City

https://www.spellingcity.com

Spellingcity.com is free right now with code VSCFree90

 

Starfall

https://www.starfall.com/h/

Provides hours of engaging educational content for pre-school and grade school kids. It uses animation and sound to engage children in the learning process.

Storyboard That

https://www.storyboardthat.com

Powerful visual communication made easy

 

Storyline Online

https://www.storylineonline.net

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s award-winning children’s literacy website, Storyline Online, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books.

 

Sworkit

https://app.sworkit.com/collections/kids-workouts

Kid-friendly workouts — choose from Strength for Kids, Agility for Kids, Flexibility and Balance for Kids, Warm-Up for Kids, Cooldown for Kids, Stand Up and Move.

 

Teaching Textbooks

https://www.teachingtextbooks.com

Math program for grades 3-12. First 16 lessons free with free trial.

 

Turnitin

https://www.turnitin.com/static/revision-assistant-walkthrough/

An online writing tool that you can access for FREE to help mitigate any gaps in your writing instruction and practice. 60-day free trial can be accessed here: https://go.turnitin.com/l/45292/2018-08-07/bgyfwq

 

Twig Education

https://www.go.twigeducation.com/covid19-us

Twig Science Tools is an award-winning supplemental resource with short videos in English and Spanish, visuals, and hands-on investigative activities.

Typing Club

https://www.typingclub.com/

Learn to type.

Typing.com

https://www.typing.com

Learn to type.

Vidcode

https://about.vidcode.com/lovemyvidcode/2020/3/9/in-support-of-schools-facing-health-related-closure?fbclid=IwAR0BvW4KVBRN6rb4tTC4F-poF61Uco1hBlttmme6A2m7uBtMEqXIhBls_CM

Teens learn to code.

Writing Legends

https://www.writinglegends.com/

Teach writing with the benefit of technology. Free of charge through July 31, 2020.

Wonderopolis

Wonderopolis.org

Short videos and readings that answers various burning questions for students. There are vocabulary challenges and comprehension questions.

Zearn

https://www.zearn.org/

Top-rated K-5 curriculum builds deep understanding and a love of learning math for all students.

PREPARE FOR HOMESCHOOLING SUCCESS

Your basic homeschooling kit should include internet access, a computer or tablet, a printer with plenty of ink, printer paper, colored pencils, markers or crayons, spiral notebooks and pens. To minimize frustration and delays, consider printing lessons or packets for a week at a time the weekend prior.

Special thanks to the companies above for generously sharing their programs, resources, materials and intellectual property during this unprecedented time of crisis.

Harvest Project Food Rescue Helps Feed Hundreds

South Dallas Produce Giveaway Helps Feed Families in Need

Harvest Project Food Rescue was started by Danae Gutierrez in the summer of 2014 as a community project. It focuses on assisting underserved communities in Dallas County.  Harvest Project Food Rescue has redistributed over 2 million pounds of produce and has fed over 15,000 families in the Dallas area. Orchard At The Office has been a steadfast supporter of Harvest Project since 2017, consistently donating hundreds of pounds of fresh fruit each week.

The program provides fresh produce to families in need at no cost. It is able to do this by partnering with produce companies in Dallas that donate fruit and vegetables. However, the process of “food rescue” goes beyond distribution. Participants in the programs receive valuable tips on preparation and storage.

Harvest Project is a fully self-supporting volunteer organization. Volunteers arrive early to sort and display the produce available that day. Dignity and respect for others are cornerstone values of Harvest Project. Because the volunteers are receiving contributions, and getting the first pick of the produce is a perk, everyone’s in the same boat.

Participants and volunteers come from all over the globe. One would expect this when dealing with a community as culturally-varied as DFW. “Food insecurity can affect everyone,”  Gutierrez says, “and it was humbling for me to find that even I had assumptions of what need looked like, and every week I see proof that it’s a challenge that transcends cultures.”

Orchard At The Office, the largest provider of fresh fruit delivery to offices in Texas, is proud to donate hundreds of pounds of nutritious, delicious, cosmetically imperfect fruit to Harvest Project Food Rescue each week. If you are interested in learning where Harvest Project Food Rescue is distributing produce each week, please visit http://www.harvestproject.co/partners

If you would like to make a donation to Harvest Project Food Rescue, visit http://www.harvestproject.co.

 

5 Dallas Best-Kept Wellness Secrets

office fresh fruit delivery

“Off The Beaten Path” Suggestions for Healthy Living in DFW.

HIKING

Cedar Hill. If you park on the east side of the Cedar Hill 9th Grade Center during non-school hours, you’ll find an open field with a steep slope that serves as a trailhead for some of DFW’s best hiking. You will be led into more than four miles of trails which sit on property once owned by Northwood University, with terrain reminiscent of the best of the Texas Hill Country. Cedar and juniper frame tracks narrow and wide, and there’s even the remnants of an Exertrail (monkey bars and all) over to the east. The elevation changes are as challenging as one can expect in our area, with limestone primarily underfoot to keep the trail from getting as muddy as its Cedar Hill Nature Preserve counterpart. 1515 W Belt Line Rd, Cedar Hill, TX 75104.

BIKING

Oak Cliff Nature Preserve. While many cycling enthusiasts know about this south Dallas gem, there are many casual trail riders who have lived here for decades with no idea of its availability. The trailhead can be accessed by taking the DART Rail Red Line to its Westmoreland Station terminus, and from there, 6.5 miles of intersecting trails can provide hours of interesting technical riding among the pecan and bois d’arc. The preserve is part of the Texas Land Conservancy and maintained by the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association2875 Pierce St, Dallas, TX 75233.

EATING

ORCHARD At The OFFICE. This Richardson-based office fruit delivery service has a single purpose: to deliver fresh fruit to businesses in the DFW area. Offerings come in artfully-arranged fruit baskets or in bulk packages for larger operations. Bananas, apples, avocados, clementines, and even mangoes and grapes are available to offices any day of the week. They’re ideal for offices looking for healthy snacks or to make the most of their wellness budgethttps://orchardattheoffice.com 972.295.9091.

DRINKING

Eiland Coffee Roasters. Another Richardson business, Eiland imports coffee beans from all over the world and roasts them in an enormous cast-iron apparatus in their warehouse. They specialize in coffee by the pound, and the beans they supply from various Ethiopian, Brazilian, and Sumatran regions (to name just a few) will make you a coffee snob. Recently they’ve put more energy into their retail side, so whether you’re looking for a vendor for your business or a great-tasting latte, they’re a great choice. http://www.eilandcoffee.com 532 N. Interurban St, Richardson, TX 75081.

WORKOUT

Sweat Society. Just southeast of Frisco’s main square sits a workout facility that serves as an antidote to the big box gym concept. Sweat Society is more of a shared workout experience with seasoned trainers guiding clientele through High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) methods. Loyalty remains high as regulars feel like family, and the skillset of the training staff gives every session a personalized feel. https://sweatsociety.net 7151 Preston Rd Suite 141, Frisco, TX 75034.

Laughter, Humility, Dedication: The Heart of Community Service

office fresh fruit delivery

Harvest Project Food Rescue keeps its feet on the ground and a smile on its face.

It’s early Saturday morning. Danae Gutierrez pulls into Lipman Family Farms, a massive produce wholesaler, driving her old white pickup with her son Dorian riding along. She uses it because it gets the job done. She makes this trip every Saturday morning because she gets the job done. Her mission: to pick up as much unsalable but sufficiently edible produce as the flatbed will allow, and drive it down to one of several locations throughout DFW – in this case, San Francisco De Asis Episcopal Church – where a team of volunteers will work to sort the food for redistribution.

It’s called the Harvest Project Food Rescue, and each word in the name is completely accurate.

“We didn’t even have a name when we first started!” laughs Ms. Gutierrez, recalling the origins of an organization that started, and has remained, humble. “We didn’t have a truck or anything. We really started with nothing. That’s why I couldn’t take all the grapefruit!”

To explain that statement necessitates a bit of history…

Gutierrez and her parents emigrated to the United States when she was seven. With low-income potential, her family often experienced food insecurity, unsure of where their next meals would come from. For this reason and many others, her parents placed a high value on education, and Danae’s intellect and vibrant, outgoing personality served her well throughout her formative years. She is not afraid of hard work and is willing to step in when she sees that “somebody needs to do it!”

When her son Dorian became a student at Cigarroa Elementary in Dallas, she saw a need for leadership at the PTA. Before long, she was elected President and even received a DISD Volunteer Impact Award for School Support. During this time, she met Luis Carrillo, a fellow PTA board member who was also working with Dallas Mexico Casa Guanajuato, a community center serving the Mexican citizens of Dallas. Carrillo was seeking quality produce for the senior citizens, as the contributions they were receiving were not always usable. Gutierrez said, “well, somebody needs to do it”, and in the summer of 2014, she went about the process of talking to the produce wholesalers near the Farmers Market.

“I went to this one place, and they had twenty-five boxes of beautiful grapefruit!” Gutierrez recalls. “They had a couple of blemishes on the skin, so they weren’t for sale, but they were in great shape. So I took a box and they were saying, ‘when are you coming back for the other twenty-four?’” She laughs and says, “That’s when I realized there were literal tons of produce going to waste, and we just had to get it to the people who needed it.”

Ms. Gutierrez smiles as she recalls the origins of Harvest Project, as she smiles about many things. Her positivity and tenacity transform the seemingly onerous task of food rescue into a positive mission.

Since 2014, Harvest Project has grown – cautiously, responsibly, and humbly. Gutierrez wants to be sure the nonprofit never gets so ambitious that it overreaches its primary purpose. “We don’t want to have people who are counting on us to be waiting around, because we’re spending too much time going too many places.” In a given month, Harvest Project will take its seven vehicles to seven locations – some weekly, some semi-weekly, some monthly. They now serve thousands of families every month in locations ranging from South Dallas to Arlington.

The volunteer arm is fully self-supporting, in that all of those who serve at each site are participants. Gutierrez explains, “The people who assist are willing to show up early and get things sorted and set up, because they get first choice of the produce.” As always, humility is the acme of the project, and this is a big part of the training as well: since the volunteers are participants, it is made clear that they are to treat their fellow recipients as equals. “We won’t allow people to be like, ‘oh, we’re the ones giving you the food, so we’re better than you.’ Because the volunteers are receiving contributions, and getting first pick of the produce is a perk, everyone’s in the same boat – and we usually have too many volunteers! There’s a waiting list of people willing to help.”

The process of “food rescue” goes beyond distribution. Participants in the programs are given valuable tips on preparation, storage, financially-responsible shopping…even composting. Self-support is always the goal.

While the organization may have started with Hispanic leanings, the participants and volunteers come from all over the globe, as one would expect when dealing with a community as culturally-varied as DFW. “Food insecurity can affect everyone,” Gutierrez says, “and it was humbling for me to find that even I had assumptions of what need looked like, and every week I see proof that it’s a challenge that transcends cultures.” But just as the challenges can be transcendent, so too can solutions, and participants work to find ways of overcoming language and ideological barriers to make Harvest Project work.

Sometimes these differences can provide educational opportunities. “In one area, we have a lot of participants who are refugees from Myanmar,” Gutierrez says, “and I was picking up the produce to bring to that mission, and I got all these banana leaves. I thought, ‘What is anyone going to do with a banana leaf?’ So we get out there, and all these refugees got so excited! I didn’t know that in Myanmar banana leaves are used like husks are used for tamales in Mexico. Not only did I learn something new about a culture, but also I now know how to use a banana leaf to make food in my home!”

The key to the success of Harvest Project Food Rescue is a clarity of purpose and humility. Provide produce and education for communities in DFW experiencing food insecurity one banana at a time – and with a smile.

ORCHARD At The OFFICE, the largest provider of fresh fruit delivery to offices in Texas, is proud to contribute to such an important organization and salutes the inspiring work of Ms. Gutierrez, who has been a member of the ORCHARD At The OFFICE team since 2017. We are grateful to the many others like her in every community, whose names so often go unmentioned.

If you would like to make a donation to Harvest Project Food Rescue, visit http://www.harvestproject.co.