Ampleharvest.org recommends edible centerpieces this holiday

Decorative one day, donated the next to a local food West Milford, N.J. — The AmpleHarvest.org Campaign announces its “Centerpieces for Pantries” initiative. Millions of families nationwide will be celebrating Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season with a sumptuous dinner table graced with a floral centerpiece. Whether provided by the host or a guest, these flowers soon wilt and need to be thrown away. Meanwhile, for millions of hungry families nationwide, Thanksgiving will just be another evening struggling to get food on the table. The AmpleHarvest.org Centerpieces for Pantries initiative encourages people to use edible arrangements of whole fruit and vegetables on their dinner tables instead of floral arrangements. “Pretty as they are, flowers quickly wilt and need to be thrown away within days," said AmpleHarvest.org founder Gary Oppenheimer. "Instead, a bowl or basket of whole fruit can be used as a beautiful centerpiece for that special dinner - and can then be donated to a local food pantry the next day. More than 4,600 food pantries spread across all 50 states have registered with AmpleHarvest.org with more signing up daily. “These arrangements can be purchased from floral and gift companies, or can be made at home." Oppenheimer said. "You can even have the children in the household contribute to the evening by letting them create it with whole fruit, vegetables and nuts purchased at a local store or farmers market. Then once the dinner is over, visit www.AmpleHarvest.org to find a food pantry in your neighborhood eager for the donation.” Most food pantries only accept whole food, so Oppenheimer recommends you don't cut the fruit and vegetables or pierce them with tooth picks. AmpleHarvest.org enables your edible table centerpiece to grace your table one day and feed another family the next. Visit www.AmpleHarvest.org/holiday to learn more. The AmpleHarvest.org Campaign, in pursuit of its “no food left behind” mantra, works to diminish hunger, improve nutrition and help the environment in America by enabling gardeners nationwide to easily find a local food pantry eager to receive the excess garden bounty. For more information on the campaign, visit www.AmpleHarvest.org/press or call AMPLE-6-9880 (267-536-9880).