Sunday, April 10, 2011

KQED Women's History Hero 2010


Anna Chan is an amazing Mother on a mission to save the world, one little lemon at a time. With a passion that all children deserve fresh fruit at their table, it shocked Anna to find neighborhood fruit rotting to the ground all the while families in her very own community are going hungry. In her grassroots efforts, Anna has spent countless hours knocking on fruit tree owners' doors, distributing flyers, asking them to share with the poor. She harvests the fruit herself and delivers to local food pantries. She also networks with farmers for leftover market donations. In the first year, Anna's efforts yielded $100,000 worth of fresh produce to local hunger relief organizations. She soon realized this forgotten urban harvest spans across America. She is hoping to inspire others that one person can truly make a difference to those less fortunate. It all begins somewhere. One Person. One tree at a time.
Anna furthers her outreach by public speaking, community gardening, and publishing www.thelemonlady.blogspot.com, which has become a respected Community Resource, emphasizing Food Education, the value of whole, fresh foods, gardening, the needs of our community food banks and the population they serve. Readers will find inspiring ways to reward volunteers in their own community, step-by-step instructions and sample flyers to promote the cause, or start your own fruit collecting adventures, Any Town, USA. Anna hopes to partner with other service organizations to further the cause "flyers on fruit trees, fruit to food banks." If we see a tree with fruit rotting to the ground and do nothing, then nothing will ever get done. Publicity is the only way to reach others far away.

For outstanding volunteer service and selfless commitment to the hunger cause, Anna, "The Lemon Lady" has been recognized in dozens of media, honored with a special Commendation from California Garden Clubs, Inc., a prestigious Jefferson Award for Public Service and KQED Public Broadcasting Women's History Hero 2010.

FOR MEDIA, AWARDS, REFERENCES, CLICK HERE.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Donate Books! Or, Buy Books at Concord Library Spring Book Sale in April...



Do you have any old books just gathering dust around the house?
This is a perfect opportunity to make a real difference in our Concord Community. DONATE TO THE LIBRARY. The Friends of the Concord Library accept book donations from your home collection. In turn, they are sold at Library Book Sales to raise funds for special programs at the Concord Library. The library book sales are an awesome time to purchase gently used books at incredible prices, most books $.50-$1.00, children's books $.25.

Have you visited the Library lately? SEARCH EVENTS to find magic shows, puppet shows, arts and crafts events, special guest speakers and dozens of other exciting programs for children and adults. Free use of computers and internet. Open a book. Visit the Library. There's a great big world out there.

DONATE BOOKS, please. If you have books to donate, you may bring them directly to the Concord Library year round, or I'd be happy to pick up and deliver for you. Your donation is tax deductible. CLICK HERE for more information, or to join the Concord Friends of the Library Foundation.

SPRING BOOK SALE IS APRIL 28th - 30th, Concord Library 2900 Salvio Street, Concord, California. CLICK HERE for times/details.

In the meantime, DONATE BOOKS. Recycle your old books.

The Concord Community needs our support. Thank you.

AnnaAndAva@gmail.com
(510) 406-1625

Find a Food Pantry. Donate Fruits and Veggies. Free Pick-up and Delivery...


Contra Costa County: Concord, Clayton, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Lafayette, Orinda, Walnut Creek, Alamo, Danville, Mt. Diablo Country.

The beautiful summer growing season brings abundant harvests for many backyard gardeners.

Are you a gardener or urban farmer with too much of a good thing? A ton of tomatoes, a zillion zukes or cukes, beans coming out of your ears? One tomato, two tomato, three? Apples, oranges, lemons and more. Did you know that food banks, pantries, shelters and soup kitchens NEED your fresh fruit and produce? Food pantries accept homegrown fruit and produce. Easy as pie!

Call the Lemon Lady for immediate pick-up and delivery.

I deliver homegrown produce to local food pantries who feed the hungry. Chances are I have pick-ups and helpers in your neighborhood too. If you need boxes, I can even donate boxes.

Grow it. Glean it. Box it. Porchside pickup seven days a week! "Lettuce" feed those less fortunate throughout our community.

Daily pick up and delivery to food pantries throughout Contra Costa County. Call today!

AnnaAndAva@gmail.com
(510) 406-1625

P.S.
I also create FREE websites to help food pantries increase outreach and donations. CLICK HERE for information on FREE non-profit websites.

Find a Food Bank or Food Pantry, Nationwide: CLICK HERE.

Find a Food Pantry in Concord, California:
CLICK HERE.

Food Pantries in Contra Costa County. Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Food Banks in California through the California Association of Food Banks. Food Pantries Nationwide through Feeding America.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Got Fruit? Donate Fruit. Share the harvest...



Call...
Anna, The Lemon Lady
Cell: (510) 406-1625
Office: (925) 672-1988
AnnaAndAva@gmail.com

Let's feed the hungry. Spread the word. Share the harvest.
Tell a friend!
www.thelemonlady.blogspot.com



Concord, California: Find a local food pantry, CLICK HERE.

Concord-Diablo Rotary Gleaning Efforts surpass One Ton of fruit...


Photo courtesy of Edi Birsan.
Karen Mahshi and Edi Birsan gleaning for the Concord-Diablo Rotary Service Project.


I can't get all the fruit out there. Believe me, I've tried! ;)


We need more people scouting for fruit trees, more fruit tree donors, and more people to help harvest.

I'm so glad to see others actively helping to harvest fruit in our community. In 2009, I had the pleasure of speaking before Edi Birsan's Concord-Diablo Rotary Group - trying to inspire others, one little lemon at a time. Edi has done an excellent job of mobilizing a fruit harvesting crew. They have their fruit-picking poles ready and are looking for more trees to harvest.

Congratulations, Edi and friends on surpassing ONE TON of fruit gleaned from local trees. One tree at a time...each of us can help bring healthy, fresh fruit to those who are poor.

Make friends with a neighbor today. Find a fruit tree. It really is that easy!

Email: "Anna, the lemon lady" or Email: Edi Birsan at the Concord-Diablo Rotary. There is so much surplus fruit and so many people who are hungry. The community truly needs your help!

Do you know of a fruit tree that needs harvesting?
Please Contact:

AnnaAndAva@gmail.com
(510) 406-1625
or
EdiBirsan@astound.net
(510) 812-8180


Sunday, March 13, 2011

Navlet's $15.00 Coupon...



It's nice to find a sweet deal at a favorite garden center. Save $15.00 (when it's raining) at Navlet's Garden Centers.

CLICK HERE to find a store location near you. Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, and Danville.

CLICK HERE to sign up for Navlet's Special Offers and Coupons. That's how I received this $15.00 coupon - in my email.

Happy Gardening. Happy Harvesting.


Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Museums or Fruit Harvesting for the Hungry? March 2011 FREE Dates to Remember...


We need YOUR help!
Please, tell ten people. Fruit matters.
Explore the world and pick fruit too.

Free museums and free fruit.

California Academy of Sciences FREE Admission
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Two great resources:
Free Admission to many museums all month long.

Contra Costa County Library, Discover and Go.
Print FREE passes from your home computer.


Free Museum Day. If you know when to go, there is a FREE museum day almost every day of the month.

Museums on Rainy Days. Fruit picking on Sunny Days!

Donate Fruit to feed the hungry. Have you picked any fruit lately? Have you made friends with a neighbor? March is bursting full of sweet, tree-ripened oranges, tangerines, pomelos, grapefruit, lemons, limes, and so much more. Have you looked to see what is growing on your neighbor's tree? It only takes a minute. Tell ten people today! Fruit matters.

I'll help with a flier requesting fresh fruit donations to feed the hungry. Join the fun! Call for free pick-up and delivery to a nearby food pantry. Call for harvesting help.