Feeding Walla Walla: Whitman Students Turn Service Into Impact
By Heidi Pitts ’01
Local produce, farm to table. Whitman students and community volunteers help gather fresh fruits and vegetables that will go directly to Walla Walla families experiencing food insecurity.
At Whitman College, students don’t just learn about issues in the world—they roll up their sleeves and help solve them. One powerful example is Whitman’s partnership with local farms and Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC) to address food insecurity in the Walla Walla Valley.
Even in a region known for agricultural abundance, many families struggle to access fresh, healthy food year-round, with food insecurity affecting about 11% of Walla Walla County residents according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study. That’s where Whitman students step in.
Two Student-Led Teams, One Shared Mission
Whitman students support local food access through two key groups: The Food Justice Project (FJP) and the Glean Team.
In Fall 2025 alone, students helped collect over 15,000 pounds of fresh produce for BMAC’s food bank—everything from peppers to apples to pumpkins.
When weather changes quickly or a crop ripens all at once, farmers call BMAC, and BMAC calls on its community of volunteers, including FJP and the Glean Team. Soon students are on the ground and up in trees, picking and packing food that will reach neighbors within days.
“I joined a cherry glean one summer, and we filled pallets with food that would’ve gone to waste. That’s when I realized how much difference even a handful of volunteers can make.
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—Caine Ryan ’26, Glean Team leader and Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology major
Learning That Extends Beyond Campus
Whitman’s approach to community engagement blends:
- Service: Taking meaningful action to support local needs and strengthen community well-being.
- Education: Learning from experts, neighbors and real-world systems to understand the root causes of social challenges.
- Reflection: Thinking critically about experiences to grow personally and make future impact more intentional and informed.
Students meet farmers, nonprofit leaders and local residents from diverse backgrounds, building new relationships and a deeper understanding of what community really means. BMAC Outreach Manager Yvonne Segovia says the partnership gives students hands-on perspective into life in Walla Walla and creates mutual understanding and a stronger sense of belonging.
“It’s been inspiring to see how much can happen when people from different parts of the community come together.
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—Danny Pottharst ’28, Food Justice Project leader and Rhetoric, Writing and Public Discourse major
Making a Difference Today & Tomorrow
Gleaning pauses during the winter, but the work continues: meal-bag packing, food drives, sustainability education and more. Students stay engaged year-round, and each harvest season brings new opportunities to help.
More importantly, students discover how their passions—whether food systems, sustainability, public health or social justice—can become meaningful careers that make an impact on real-world problems.
Want To Change the World? Start Where You Are!
At Whitman, service isn’t a side activity—it’s built into the learning experience.
When you explore Whitman, you’ll find:
- Dozens of community-focused student groups
- Hands-on learning in and beyond the classroom
- A supportive college town where your contributions matter
Whether harvesting peppers, leading a nonprofit partnership or designing long-term hunger-relief solutions, Whitman students make a real difference.
Here, you won’t just study change. You’ll create it.