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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA network of faithful volunteers helps collect, sort, and pack supplies to be shipped nationally and internationally; others work in the sewing center to sew towels, washcloths, baby blankets, lap blankets, and assemble cloth feminine hygiene kits. Gleaning for the World estimates it receives donations of over 34,000 plush toys annually, which it rehomes through its Teddy Bear Brigade.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe hear stories about how stuffed animals provided to children living through a natural disaster or a war can light up faces and bring smiles. We know these \u2018plushies\u2019 bring comfort during troubled times and that a child intuitively reaches out to get his or her very own.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From day one, Smiley-Mason said the mission of Gleaning for the World has been to \u201cshare the love of God at home and around the world through the efficient delivery of high quality, life-saving supplies to victims of poverty and devastation by connecting corporate surplus to critical needs.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2005, Smiley-Mason came across an advertisement for a position of volunteer coordinator and was impressed with all that Gleaning for the World had accomplished, so she applied. Over the years, she\u2019s worked faithfully in various positions, so in January 2018, after founder Ron Davidson retired, she stepped into her current position as president and chief operating officer. Davidson was a local pastor with a burden for those in need who learned about the retail surplus heading for the landfill and knew these items could make a significant impact all over the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWorking at Gleaning for the World has greatly expanded my knowledge and awareness about the extreme difficulties individuals and families can face,\u201d said Smiley-Mason. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter where you live. Tragic events occur everywhere \u2014 both natural and man-made \u2014 which can leave behind victims whose lives are absolutely devastated and torn apart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith so much information in the news every single day, tragic events can quickly fall from the headlines, yet there are those committed to seeing that help continues to get to those who are struggling and to those who are suffering. Partnering with Gleaning for the World is rewarding and brings \u2018tangible hope\u2019 along with \u2018eternal hope\u2019 to those in need.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Smiley-Mason said there\u2019s a growing awareness of the increase of people all over the world who are suffering more than ever, and this brings a level of stress because the heart of Gleaning for the World is to quench\u00a0these rising needs and concerns. With this in mind, the call for volunteers is also greater than ever and echoes across the Commonwealth of Virginia.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe love to give tours of our facility and to share some of the projects we are working on. Our experience is that when someone visits us in person or virtually, they might learn more than what they believe they know about us. Ron Davidson wrote a book titled \u2018I Did It His Way,\u2019 which is the story about how Gleaning for the World was founded. We\u2019re happy to provide anyone interested in learning more a copy of this book, simply for the asking.\u201d GN <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cI NEVER KNEW you did so much,\u201d is a statement Jeane Smiley-Mason hears often as president and chief operating officer of Gleaning for the World. Founded in 1998 in Concord, Gleaning for the World has provided emergency help internationally to 78 countries and 38 states across our nation, plus Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":21175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lynchburg-va\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/03\/1-1-1024x683.png\")
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