Terms of Participation

We want to ensure that all our volunteers are safe, productive and responsible team members. Please complete the following two steps.

Apply to Join RSVP

All Senior Gleaners volunteers must join the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, a national organization supporting senior volunteers. You will receive a monthly newsletter with information helpful to seniors. Volunteers also receive supplemental insurance coverage while volunteering through RSVP. The insurance pays expenses beyond costs not covered by your personal health or vehicle insurance for:

  • Your medical treatment.
  • Damage to private property, another vehicle or injury to another person.  Coverage of private vehicles is limited to performing functions for Senior Gleaners, such as transporting picked fruit to an agency, but not while driving to or from a volunteer assignment.

Please check the box indicating that you have completed an application for the Retired and Senior Volunteers Program. That box will provide a link to print off the application that you will complete and mail directly to RSVP. The application is a fillable form, but can’t be submitted on-line. Instead, fill it out on your computer and print it off. OR print off a blank form and write in your answers.

General Conditions

The mission of Senior Gleaners of San Diego County is to provide quality food otherwise wasted to those needing it the most while giving meaningful activity to seniors. I will conduct myself in a manner consistent with that mission while attending Senior Gleaners of San Diego County sponsored events.

I will notify my crew leader or grocery van driver in a timely manner if, after agreeing to attend an assignment, I find that I am unable to attend. I will be punctual in arriving at assignments.

Release and Waiver of Liability

As a volunteer with Senior Gleaners of San Diego County, I release Senior Gleaners of San Diego County (a nonprofit corporation existing under the laws of the State of California) and each of its directors, employees, agents, partner organizations and volunteers from all liability for involvement in or observation of SG activities.

I understand that my relationship with SG is limited to a volunteer position and no compensation is expected.

Waiver and Release: I release and forever discharge and hold harmless SG and its successors and assigns from any and all liability, claims and demands of whatever kind or nature, either in law or in equity, which arise or may hereafter arise from my participation in SG activities. I understand that this release includes any liability or claim that I may have against SG with respect to bodily injury, personal injury, illness, death or property damage that may result from the services I provide to SG or occurring while I am participating in or observing SG activities including, but not limited to, claims arising out of negligence or intentional conduct.

Insurance: Further, I understand that SG does not assume any responsibility for or obligation to provide me financial or other assistance, including but not limited to medical, health or disability benefits or insurance of any nature in the event of injury, illness, death or damage to my property.

Photographic release: I grant and convey to SG all right, title and interest in any and all photographs, images, video or audio recordings of me or my likeness or voice made by SG in connection with my involvement with SG.

Volunteer Driving Agreement

When driving Senior Gleaner vehicles I will obey all traffic laws and signage in accordance with the State of California, and I will operate SG vehicles and private vehicles when conducting SG business in a safe and courteous way at all times.

I will not be under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medications that may interfere with my driving ability.

I will report to a staff member or the board president any accidents, injuries or traffic infractions that have been ticketed the same day they occur or as soon as possible after such an incidence. Drivers age 70 and older who have received a moving violation or have had an at-fault accident within the past three years must pass the Commercial Driver License Medical Exam at the driver’s expense. The exam should be completed annually thereafter for the driver to maintain approved driver status.

No driver will be approved to drive SG-owned vehicles or a personal auto on SG business who has been convicted within the past three years of any of the following two-point convictions:

  1. Reckless driving
  2. Possession of controlled substances
  3. Driving with license suspended or revoked
  4. Driving on the wrong side of the road
  5. Driving under the influence
  6. Hit and run involving property damage, personal injury or death
  7. Driving at a speed over 100 mph
  8. Vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence

I will report any mechanical problems with SG vehicles to a staff member or to the board president.

I understand that while driving my own vehicle on SG business my private vehicle insurance will be the primary insurance for all claims resulting from incidents occurring while driving on agency business. This includes driving to and from a volunteer assignment as well as transporting food on behalf of the organization. SG vehicle insurance will provide secondary coverage of an incident. Therefore, I agree that:

  1. I have notified my insurance carrier that I am using my private vehicle on SG business regularly (includes driving to/from volunteer assignments, ride-sharing to/from volunteer assignments and/or hauling food to recipient agencies).
  2. I have private vehicle liability coverage of at least $25,000 per incident/$50,000 maximum per claim.
  3. I have a valid Calif. Driver’s License as documented in my initial Retired and Senior Volunteer Program application.

IF I AM AUTHORIZED TO DRIVE SENIOR GLEANERS-OWNED VEHICLES, I also attest that I:

  • Have read “Guidelines for Driving Passenger Vans.”
  • Have completed the driver evaluation specified in the Driving Policy
  • Will allow SG to obtain my driving record from DMV and receive notice of any infractions in the future.

Food Safety

We strive to deliver high quality, nutritious and safe food to our partner agencies. Your attention to each step of the harvest and delivery process will help us meet that goal.

FOOD STORAGE AND HANDLING

We strive to deliver high quality, nutritious and safe food to our partner agencies. Your attention to each step of the harvest and delivery process will help us meet that goal.

Discard split, bruised or damaged produce. It will contaminate the produce that is in good condition and shorten its shelf life.

  1. If you are knocking hard-to-reach fruit to the ground, inspect it for bruising and dirt.
  2. Slightly damaged but edible produce can be sorted and taken by volunteers for immediate use.
  3. Unacceptable fruit should be left on the tree or on the property—if YOU wouldn’t eat it, don’t send it. (This applies to unripe fruit as well. If an owner requests that SG should pick the tree “clean,” tell them we pick all that is useable.)
    • Bag picked, inedible fruit for the resident to put into landfill trash to reduce spread of the Asian Citrus Psyllid.
    • If the quantity is large, pile it in one area for the resident to deal with.

Grocery route crews:

  • Keep individual types of food products separate to avoid contamination (meat, dairy, produce, bakery items).
  • Place meat and dairy products and any items capable of leaking on the bottom layer of stacked boxes.
  • Alert distribution agency staff of any undesirable products in your cargo.

PERSONAL HYGIENE

  1. Wear clean clothes to each glean. Yes, you are just going to get them dirty again. However, dirty clothes and shoes can bring contaminants into the gleaning process.
  2. Restrain hair. (A Senior Gleaner cap works great.)
  3. Do not smoke or eat while gleaning—with the exception of sampling produce to check ripeness and consuming group treats at the start or end of a glean.
  4. Don’t work when sick (fever, diarrhea, etc.).

VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT

  1. After a glean, clean out your vehicle to prevent transporting insects and diseases to other areas.
  2. Wash buckets, gloves, tools and reusable plastic crates in soap and water. Clear debris from cardboard boxes that may be reused.

PETS

Pets are not allowed to accompany volunteers onto private property with the exception of service animals.

A volunteer or guest wishing to bring a service dog onto a glean site must notify the crew leader at least two weeks prior to the date of the glean. This will allow the crew leader time to get permission from the property owner for a volunteer to bring a leashed service dog to the glean. If the owner objects, the volunteer won’t be allowed to bring the animal. The crew leader will accept the volunteer’s assertion that they are using a bona fide service animal. For definitions of a service animal and the specific procedure for handling requests, see below.

Before taking a service animal to a gleaning activity, the volunteer will sign a Letter of Attestation stating that the animal has been trained as a service animal.

Service Animal Policy

SERVICE ANIMALS — DEFINITION

The following is based on information provided by the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights Division at https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html:

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability.  The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.

In situations where it is not obvious that the dog is a service animal, you may ask only two specific questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? HOWEVER, you are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person’s disability.

Therefore, it is the policy of SG to accept the validity of a volunteer’s assertion that they are using a service animal without seeking further information about the dog’s training or the volunteer’s disability.

SERVICE ANIMALS — PROCEDURE FOR REQUEST PROCESSING

A volunteer or guest wishing to bring a service dog onto a glean site must:

  1. Contact the Senior Gleaners administrative assistant to request a Letter of Attestation certifying that the animal has been trained as a service animal. You must sign and return the letter before scheduling attendance at a specific glean.
  2. Notify the crew leader at least two weeks prior to the date of a glean. Preferably, the volunteer will give 2-3 future dates to simplify the process.
  3. The crew leader notifies the SG administrative assistant who will obtain a signed Letter of Attestation from the volunteer and alerts the crew leader when the letter is received.
  4. The crew leader then checks the calendar and provides the general location of gleans for the requested dates.
  5. The volunteer then notifies the crew leader which location(s) should be contacted for service animal permission.
  6. The crew leader then sends a request to the selected resident donor(s) seeking permission for a leashed dog to accompany a volunteer and subsequently notifies the service animal owner of each donor’s decision.
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