Volunteers at our Taylor warehouse used to pack food into bags for distribution at Community Mobile sites. However, the bags were difficult to transport—they took up valuable truck space, shifted in transit, and were prone to tearing.

In 2024, we transitioned to sturdy, recyclable cardboard boxes. Not only are they more reliable and easier to transport, but they also allow us to pack more efficiently. With standardized box sizes, we can plan more strategically, ensuring each load is maximized for space and efficiency.

Volunteers used to stand in the middle of the warehouse with food items on either side of them. This was inefficient, slow, and required volunteers to twist and turn in order to pack boxes.  

In 2024, we brought in orange pass-through racks, which sped up packing and meant no more straining to grab products. It’s not only safer, but it also saves time, allowing us to focus more energy on packing frozen and fresh items.  

Before we made the switch to boxes and a more efficient assembly line, we were able to pack enough food for about 750 households per shift—now, we can pack enough food for up to 1,600 households per shift. 

Most produce arrives at our warehouse with packaging, like stickers designed for grocery checkouts, rendering them difficult or impossible to compost. To keep these stickered fruits and vegetables out of landfills, our team initially asked volunteers to remove the stickers by hand—a good idea in theory, but ultimately a tedious process.

Then the team had a bright idea: freeze the produce overnight. As ice forms on the surface, the stickers slide right off, making the food ready for the compost bin with far less effort!

Volunteers are essential to Gleaners’ mission, and we’re continuously improving their experience to make each shift more engaging, meaningful, and impactful. New enhancements, like a volunteer leaderboard, foster friendly competition and a sense of connection between groups.  

At the end of each shift, teams receive personalized impact reports, showing exactly how much food they sorted, packed, or distributed—helping volunteers see the direct results of their efforts. We’ve also increased flexibility to accommodate groups of varying sizes and activities, making it easier than ever for teams to contribute in a way that fits their skills and schedules. 

By shifting from a push model to a pull model of ordering, we’re giving our agency partners greater access to high demand donated items. Instead of receiving predetermined shipments, agencies can now view available inventory in advance and order the exact quantities they need for their community. This shift reduces waste, ensures a better match between supply and demand, and ultimately helps us serve our neighbors more effectively. 

We’ve also fine-tuned our inventory system to improve accuracy and consistency. Enhanced scanning models allow for better tracking, while strategic stock reorganization—like moving frequently requested items such as milk to the front of refrigerators—helps streamline order fulfillment. These improvements mean faster load-ups, smoother hauls, and more food reaching the community with efficiency and care. 

In 2024, Shared Harvest Pantry, Gleaners’ food distribution site in Howell, eliminated the use of more than 24,000 plastic bags per month. Volunteers and staff now use cardboard boxes or guest-provided bags to pack and organize orders.  

Our drive-up Community Mobile distributions transitioned from a three-stop continuous vehicle line to a one-stop loading cell, reducing both wait times and the risk of injury. This new system also allows us to easily add an extra line when needed, doubling throughput and cutting wait times in half. Additionally, we are introducing processes to ensure all food is pre-bagged, further minimizing trips to each vehicle and making the process even more efficient.

Furthermore, we’ve transitioned to 100% electronic guest tracking to improve service speed and enhance our ability to meet community needs. This system allows us to collect real-time data on where demand is highest, helping us plan more effectively and ensure that distributions are the right size—reducing waste while making sure food is available for all our visitors.

We developed a robust order and dock scheduling process that allows all orders to be prepared a day in advance, ensuring food is available, pulled, and ready to ship at the designated time. This improvement has increased efficiency, reduced errors and unexpected changes, and enhanced agency satisfaction.