MEDIA RELEASE
26 March 2012
Community group seeks Auckland fruit picking co-ordinators

Community Fruit Harvesting, a group that collects and shares unwanted fruit from back yards around New Zealand with charities, is looking for co-ordinators to manage fruit picking around Auckland.

The role involves collating and managing a database of fruit trees that are available for picking, and organising volunteer pickers when the fruit is ripe. The unwanted fruit is then delivered to the Auckland City Mission, who supply 70 food banks around Auckland or to other charities and food banks.

“Often fruit goes to waste when people are elderly or disabled and can’t pick fruit from their trees, or simply don’t want to,” says Di Celliers, founder of Community Fruit Harvesting. “With so many people struggling to make ends meet, this is an easy, free way to help provide fresh fruit to those who really need it.

“I manage volunteers on the North Shore, but with Auckland being so big, we need enthusiastic co-ordinators in other areas. Co-ordinators can choose to start small by picking fruit in their street or through their school, church or other group. Or if they have more time, they can manage a suburb or larger area. Every bit helps.”

As well as co-ordinators, Community Fruit Harvesting is also looking for more volunteers to pick fruit and deliver it to charity, for people to register their fruit trees to be picked and for people who can help to preserve fruit by bottling or making jams.

“Plum and peach season has come to an end, the apples, pears and feijoas are starting to ripen and as winter approaches, we move into citrus season,” says Di. “We need people who have trees laden with fruit, falling and rotting on the ground, to get in touch so we can pick it for those that are hungry.”

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About Community Fruit Harvesting
Community Fruit Harvesting is a group set up to facilitate the sharing of fruit from our own back yards with charity. People register their interest in picking fruit from trees in the neighbourhood for the elderly, disabled or those that simply don’t want it and are happy to donate it to those that need it. The group was started in 2011 by North Shore resident Di Celliers, and currently operates in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.

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