Fruit Tree Project

Over the years a fair number of people have told me that they don't give to this cause or that charity because they are either suspicious or dead certain that the money doesn't get to those who deserve it. I must admit that I am a bit dubious at times about their honesty. It can be convenient to withhold our generosity when it suits our purposes. Then again, it seems that we are often at a distance from those we would truly choose to support.

I read an interesting article recently in Maclean's magazine about some people in British Columbia who have found a way to directly benefit themselves and others. It began with a single mom on welfare noticing a cherry tree laden with ripe fruit which was obviously going to go unpicked. A knock on the door resulted in an invitation to pick away. In fact, the homeowner had other trees with unharvested fruit which she kindly offered. The grateful recipient invited a friend to share her good fortune and they, in turn, gave away what they couldn't use.

That was ten years ago and now the Fruit Tree Project has a network of volunteers who pick fruit from the trees of willing homeowners. The pickers keep a third for themselves, give a third away, and the other third goes to the donors. Often the homeowners are elderly and just can't keep up with the trees they planted years before. The project has grown and grown by word of mouth --generosity is catching. What a great story.

In Old Testament times the social welfare system included leaving a certain amount of the harvest to be gleaned by those who were destitute. This wasn't just a nice idea but a biblical mandate to justice. It's refreshing to hear of a good idea that has just got better and more effective.