Story and images provided by Junior Service League of Stillwater

This fall, the Harvest II Food Drive for the Stillwater area will celebrate its 30th year of gathering food for the community. The Junior Service League of Stillwater coordinates the community-wide food drive each year that provides a harvest to those in need. Year after year, the Stillwater community joins together to donate food, give contributions and volunteer time to provide a second harvest of the season, Harvest II. Each year, more than 500 community volunteers collect, sort, box, and distribute over 50,000 pounds of food to area agencies.

Laura Gose Rickman is chairing Harvest II this year and thinks 30 years is something to celebrate! She has been part of the Stillwater Junior Service League for four years. “​I am honored to be involved in such a legacy for our community. Stillwater Junior Service League, with the support of the community, has been able to donate over 1 millions pounds of food to several charities in and around Stillwater. It is such a heart-filling experience to be able to fill the shelves of local agencies and food pantries who help so many people.”

The Harvest II boxes and barrels will be located at Stillwater schools, Perkins schools, and  participating businesses and churches. Donations will be accepted from Oct, 24th through Nov. 8th. The area agencies that receive donations from Harvest II are Central Oklahoma Community Action Agency, Mission of Hope, Salvation Army, Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services, Neighborhood  Ministries, Payne County Youth Services, Cowboys with Compassion, Our Daily Bread, Central Oklahoma Adult and Teen Challenge, and Operation Christmas.

In addition to the food donations, monetary donations are made to these groups at the beginning of each summer to help them through those last months before the next Harvest II. Through donations given to JSL and Harvest II, these agencies are able to provide food to those in need throughout the entire year.

The success of Harvest II is the result of the continued support and participation from the community. Many individuals, businesses, churches, and students in the Stillwater area donate  food, time, and efforts to Harvest II each year. JSL is truly thankful for their service and the sponsors that make this mission possible.

To celebrate the longevity and success of Harvest II over the last 30 years, JSL is hosting a community lunch at the First United Methodist Church of Stillwater on Sat., Oct. 13th from 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.  Please join the Junior Service League for this event and help celebrate.

For more questions on Harvest II, how you can donate or volunteer, and more information about the community lunch, please contact Harvest II Chair, Laura Gose Rickman at 405-612-1535 or email ​harvest2jsl@gmail.com​. Visit the new website at www.stillwaterjsl.com and follow along on social media.

The purpose of the Junior Service League of Stillwater is exclusively educational and charitable. JSL aims to promote volunteerism, develop the potential of its members for voluntary participation in community affairs, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of trained volunteers.