Saint Dominic Academy students glean apples to help the hungry

AUBURN---When an opportunity cropped up for Saint Dominic Academy students to serve the community by gleaning apples, the students jumped at the chance.

Wallingford’s Orchard in Auburn wanted to help the hungry by donating apples that had fallen to the ground but were still in good shape. So, a group of about 30 students, from grades pre-K through high school, along with some teachers, parents, and grandparents, headed to the orchard to glean them. In less an hour, they were able to collect 863 pounds of apples.

“My favorite part was dumping apples out of my bag into the big boxes,” said a second grader.

“I liked being outside with my friends,” said a third grader.

“I liked everything!” said another third grader.

In the afternoon, several families, along with members of the “Full of Grace” women’s group at Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston, processed the apples in the St. Dom’s school cafeteria. The apples were washed, sorted, peeled, and sliced and then cooked into gallons and gallons of applesauce. Volunteers from Androscoggin Gleaners then delivered the applesauce to local food banks for distribution to people in need.

“It was a great experience for everyone involved, with the fun of being outdoors with friends, the opportunity to learn a little about farming and food processing, and of course the joy of knowing that in serving the hungry, we were serving Christ,” said Sister Francesca Silver, FSE.

“It was really eye-opening how much food could have been wasted,” said an eighth grader. “I’m glad we could help.”