Become a Harvest Leader
Join the Fruit Rescue Movement!
Harvest Leaders are volunteers who play a key role in making Community Fruit Rescue’s harvest program possible. During harvest season, leaders help coordinate volunteer crews at harvest sites, ensuring fruit is safely and efficiently picked and shared throughout the community.
As a Harvest Leader, you’ll work with volunteers and tree owners, help organize harvest logistics, and support a positive and welcoming experience for everyone involved. It’s a great opportunity to build leadership skills, spend time outdoors, and help ensure surplus fruit is put to good use rather than going to waste.
Harvest Leaders help turn local fruit abundance into community nourishment while supporting food access, reducing waste, and helping minimize wildlife attractants in urban areas.
Additionally, Harvest Leaders who lead at least 3 harvests during the 2026 season will receive a $30 expense reimbursement stipend for each harvest led.
Requirements
Be responsible, reliable, and friendly
Be able to commit at least ~3-4 hours per week during the harvest season: mid August through late October/early November (at least one harvest per week)
Be able to attend a pre-season training to learn the ins and outs of harvest leadership
Be able to lift and carry equipment and heavy boxes of fruit
Be willing to interact with and guide volunteer pickers of all ages at harvests
Ideally have the ability to transport equipment and fruit to and from CFR’s storage space and harvests. We may be able to work with you on this if you do not currently have a vehicle.
Proactively communicating with all assigned volunteers via email or text prior to their scheduled harvests with you
Picking up equipment (picking poles, boxes, scale, signs) from the CFR storage space and transporting them to the harvest site
Checking in with the tree steward (if they are home) upon arrival
Greeting volunteer pickers and briefing them on basic harvest protocols
Sharing best practices about living with local wildlife such as black bears
Helping harvest and sort fruit
Managing the weighing, recording weights, and dividing of fruit
Transporting equipment and fruit back to the CFR storage space
Representing CFR as the point-person during the harvest (which may mean answering questions, chatting with passersby, etc. to promote our program)