Glean On Me Harvests Fruit Close to Home

On January 17, members of the Glean On Me club gathered at the home of Head of School John Bracker and Upper School faculty member Rachel Countryman for a winter fruit harvest rooted in service and sustainability. With a team of about six student volunteers, the group collected nearly 200 pounds of fresh grapefruits and oranges, which were donated to the Walter Hoving Home, a nonprofit organization in Pasadena that supports women in need.

The harvest marked Glean On Me’s first event of 2026 and reflected the organization’s commitment not only to reducing food waste but also to educating students through hands-on service. Glean On Me is a student-run organization serving the Pasadena area with a mission to reduce food waste by harvesting unused fruit from local properties, improve food security by donating the fruit to community partners, and educate students through engaging, experiential harvest events.

“This event was super special to us,” said Apollo W. ’27, founder of Glean On Me. “Not only was this the first harvest of 2026, but it was also really cool to have it so closely connected to the Poly community. As spring rolls around and more fruit becomes in-season, I really hope that our club could host more Poly-centric events with other people in our community who would be willing to volunteer any unused fruit trees that they might have.”

Both before and after the harvest, participants took part in pre- and post-meetings designed to deepen their understanding of food waste in the local community and to provide space for reflection. These discussions also ensured that students could receive credit for their Significant Experience through the Upper School Student Community Engagement.

For many student volunteers, the experience combined meaningful service with learning and connection. Maggie T. ’28 shared, “I really enjoyed picking fruit and learning about the women’s home that the fruit was going to.” Justin R. ’27 said he enjoyed the fun community-focused exercise.

John Bracker shared, “Rachel and I were delighted to welcome members of Glean On Me to our home. We hope others in the Poly community will consider opening their gardens to support this meaningful work.”

As Glean On Me looks ahead to the spring harvest season, the club hopes to continue expanding its work within the Poly community while addressing food waste and food insecurity, one piece of fresh fruit at a time.