Washington County Harvest of Hope gleans, grows, and gives food to programs that feed hungry people in our communities.

The need is great

Each week, more than 25% of our food goes to waste in the United States. Many individuals go hungry or eat low-nutrition foods that fill their stomachs but don't provide a healthy diet.

In Washington County alone, 16.4% of our population and 21.4% of our children live in poverty. Help feed the hungry in our communities by joining hands with Harvest of Hope!

Volunteer Spotlight – Virginia Graves

 While visiting Marya Ott, driver Barney Ott’s wife, Virginia mentioned she was looking for a volunteer opportunity.  Marya was delighted to tell her about Harvest of Hope, Virginia called to see how she might fit in, and now she has been a helper on rescue/delivery van routes for several months.  “The flexibility of scheduling was very appealing to me,” Virginia said.  “I can easily arrange volunteering around my schedule.”

A native of Oceanside, California, Virginia attended Oceanside High School, where her father was a teacher, and then attended the University of Oklahoma where she earned a BA in Education.  After about 40 years living in Oklahoma, she retired in 2012 and moved to Marietta in 2016 to be closer to her daughter, Betsy, and her grandchildren.  Her son, John, lives in Oklahoma.

After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, Virginia taught for three years in Oklahoma City and then Westminster School, a private school.  In 1990, she earned her Master’s degree in reading from the University of Central Oklahoma, continued teaching at Westminster School, and then went back to teaching in Title One public schools where she taught reading and eventually became the director of the Kindergarten/Pre-K Department supervising teachers. 

Over the years, Virginia worked on grants for reading programs and moved on to teach reading through Head Start in the Choctaw Nation.  “Since I worked primarily in Title One schools, I understand the struggles of lower income families,” she notes, “and being able to offer hands-on help for those in need is important to me.  At Harvest of Hope I saw immediately the results of rescuing food and using resources that positively serve the needs of others.”

Before COVID, Virginia volunteered as an usher at the Peoples Bank Theatre and was a Deacon at First Presbyterian Church.  She feels volunteer service is “very important to the health of any community.”

“I’m still learning about Harvest of Hope, mostly from talking to drivers and hearing about their experiences.  It is so important Harvest of Hope continues its mission because feeding the hungry and the resulting positive benefits serve the whole community.”

By the numbers

Food Recovered since 2005:     1,900,000 lbs.

Volunteers:     More than 70 helping in all aspects of the organization.

Community Gardens:     2 gardens serving; 28 households.

Agencies Served:     42 with 26 receiving regular deliveries.

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Thank You !!!