2. More than 720,000 lbs. of local produce was donated or gleaned instead of being plowed under or taken to the landfill.

3. G leaning accounted for 220,000 lbs. of rescued produce – 40% more than last year season.

4. CROS Ministries arranged for more than 1,700 volunteers – more than 700 above last year.

5. For the first time, we had 3 gleanings all in the same day – including our first potato gleaning.

6. Volunteers carry completed boxes to the edge of the field and a pickup transports the boxes to the trucks.

7. Boxes are stacked on pallets that weight up to 2,000 lbs. and are wrapped with plastic to stabilize them.

8. Gleaning accounted for about 10% of all food the trucks rescued, but it’s some of the best food with items such as corn, tomatoes and potatoes.

9. Most rescued produce comes directly from farmers, Farm Share and produce houses, and we get truckloads.

10. Much of the food we receive is given out the same day. The rest is stored in refrigeration at East Coast Farms.

11. Our trucks and staff deliver free food to more than 20 agencies in Belle Glade and Pahokee, including dropoffs for the Share food cooperative .

12. As many as 40 agencies at a time line up to load their free produce and other food at the East Coast dock in Lantana.

13. At the center of everything involving the trucks is Jacquie Shorter -- checking inventories, schedules & deadlines.

14. There are two 26-foot refrigerated trucks with four drivers and they make more than 3,000 pickups and deliveries a year.

15. Sometimes we have so much food to transport that we have to rent as many as 4 extra trucks.

16. This past fiscal year we picked up and delivered more than 300,000 pounds of frozen meat donated by 12 Publix stores to six soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

17. We collected almost 44,000 lbs. of prepared but unused food from places such as the Breakers Hotel and Convention Center.

18. We collected tons of food from events arranged by the Community Food Alliance.

19. Alex Stevens and CFA also arranged for us to pick up from events such as SunFest and PGA golf tournaments.

20. When the Lost Tree Country Club closed for the summer we were allowed to pick up unused food for soup kitchens.

21. We now pick up leftover sandwiches, pastries and coffee beans from Starbucks shops three times a week.

22. A s, we close, we salute one of our best workers – Michael Jeter – who now serves his country as a Marine.

23. We hope you find this as uplifting as we do. In Christ’s Love, Dan & Jacquie Shorter Dan -- 561-398-2828 [email_address] Jacquie -- 561-398-0566 [email_address] 8306 155 th Place North, PBG, FL 33418