PARIS, Ky. (FOX 56) — It’s been more than a year since the deadly floods hit eastern Kentucky, and the work continues to help that region recover. Glean Kentucky, along with hardworking volunteers, are pitching in through produce.

There’s nothing like going to the apple orchard on a cool September morning, especially knowing it’s all for a good cause. Glean Kentucky was out at Reed Valley Orchard gathering apples that would be sent to Cane Kitchen in Whitesburg.

“It’s our job first and foremost. We’ve been around for 10 years, and we kind of have a twin mission of helping to mitigate food waste, keep food out of the landfill, and get that food that we’re saving to people who need it,” Glean Kentucky Program Director Jimmy Early said.

Whitesburg is an area that was hit pretty hard during last year’s floods. Cane Kitchen will be making good use of the apples gleaned here. These apples aren’t rotten and can still be safely used for a wide variety of things.

“They’ll use the apples to both make products that they’ll distribute to feed people with and also to help educate people on processing in general,” Early said.

Glean Kentucky wasn’t alone.

Lexington Family Services was also in on the gleaning. Sheila Horton-Holt is the Director of Family Services, and she was glad to come out to help the partners at Glean Kentucky.

“Glean has been a very big partnership for the family care center. They’ve been partners of ours for about six years now, so we thought it’d be a great opportunity for us to come out today and give back for them giving so much to us,” Horton-Holt said.”

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. A group of students came out to help glean too.

“It’s a great opportunity for them to see what it’s like to give back to the community to the community as well. Glean also gives to them as well, so it was nice to see some of them actually volunteer to come and give back to the community today,” Horton-Holt said.

The apples gathered represent the core values of these organizations and play a role in helping Eastern Kentucky recover.

“They’re in our thoughts, and we’re just very thankful to able to do our part today to give back to them as well,” Horton-Holt said.

“The connection between the Family Care Center and Glean Kentucky, Reed Vally Orchard, Stepping Stone Farm, and Cane Kitchen, and several other organizations that some apples will probably go back to in Lexington, it’s just a really nice family we have going,” Early added.

More information on Glean Kentucky can be found here.