Compassion & Service Still Matter
This Fall has been an exciting and meaningful season for Gleaning For The World. From community events and University visits to media interviews and special partnerships, our team has been busy sharing our mission to help people in need both locally and around the world.
Honoring Veterans Through Service
Just over a month from Veterans Day, Gleaning For The World has once again launched its annual Veterans Collection Drive. We’re gathering new clothing, non-perishable food items, toiletries, and monetary donations to support those who have served our nation.
According to James McLaughlin, our Director of Disaster Response, this effort is all about letting our veterans know they are appreciated and not forgotten.
“Our message to them would be that they’re appreciated, they’re loved, and they’re not forgotten. We can never fully repay the sacrifices that they made, and we’re just happy to do what we can to maybe brighten their day just a little bit,” said McLaughlin during a recent WSET interview.
Now in its third year, this drive continues to grow thanks to community generosity and the many partner organizations helping to collect donations, including Harley Davidson of Lynchburg, Humane Society of Amherst County, Marine Corps League, and more.
A collection truck will be stationed at Sam’s Club in Lynchburg on November 6 and 7, marking the conclusion of this year’s drive.
Click here to view the latest dates, items accepted and locations for our Veterans Collection Drive.
Connecting with the Community
Earlier this month, Gleaning participated in the 7th Annual Community Giving Fair, hosted by the Central Virginia Business Coalition (CVABC) in partnership with The Hilton Garden Inn. The event, part of CVABC’s Monthly Business Off the Clock networking series, served as a nonprofit trade show. The show offered local organizations an opportunity to share their missions and services with the wider community.
“It was a wonderful event,” said McLaughlin. “A chance for nonprofits to showcase their work, make new connections, and engage with local business leaders who care deeply about supporting the community.”
Investing in the Next Generation of Leaders
In early October, Michael Justice, Gleaning’s Director of Donor Relations, had the privilege of speaking to students at Liberty University in Dr. Roger Bingham’s Nonprofit Business Principles class.
The discussion focused on real-world challenges nonprofits face, from funding and logistics to collecting/distributing gifts-in-kind and how these principles are applied daily at Gleaning.
“It was inspiring to see students so engaged with real-world nonprofit challenges,” said Justice. “Their curiosity and insight showed a genuine passion for learning what it takes to make an impact.”
As Gleaning celebrates its 27th year of service, opportunities like this continue to strengthen our mission by inspiring the next generation of nonprofit leaders.
Golfing for a Cause
We also had the pleasure of joining WLNI at the Gleaning Golf Classic held at Falling River Country Club. The event brought together supporters, community members, and local businesses for a day of friendly competition to benefit Gleaning’s humanitarian programs.
WLNI The Morningline – GFTW Interview October 6th, 2025
Source: www.WLNI.com
Mark O’Brien, representing Gleaning on air with WLNI’s Best of the Burg, shared a positive recap:
“The tournament was great. We had great weather, a great turnout, and a fantastic group of players,” said O’Brien. “Events like this help us continue our disaster response efforts, both locally and nationwide.”
During his interview, Mark also discussed Gleaning’s ongoing disaster recovery projects from flood recovery in Texas to long-term rebuilding in North Carolina as well as the importance of supporting local businesses in affected communities.
Continuing the Mission
From outreach events and educational opportunities to collection drives and radio interviews, the Gleaning team remains dedicated to connecting with our community and sharing the hope that drives our mission.
We are deeply grateful to our partners, donors, and volunteers who make all this work possible locally, nationally, and globally.
To learn more about how you can get involved, visit our Ways To Give page or call us at (434) 993-3600.
In service and partnership,
