Here we are again with another year coming to a close, but as I write this newsletter the temperature here in Medicine Hat if a balmy 10 degrees Celsius. It doesn’t get much better than that here at this time of year. We don’t have any snow, and most people would be happy with that, however, our farmer producers are probably cringing as they are counting on major amounts of snow by now as they need the moisture for next year.
We at the Gleaners are continuing our task of gleaning and are extremely thankful for all of our donor partners as well as our many volunteers who come out to the plant to help us do God’s work of feeding the hungry of the world. We are also thankful for God’s provision in this endeavor. He has been faithful in providing for all our needs over the last 14 years, and we are confident He will continue to do so into the future.
Since our inception in 2009, we have shipped our vegetable mix to well over 30 countries around the world, and this year again we have continued that same tradition.
2023 Shipments
In January we shipped 6 boxes with Dominican Vision Inc, to the Dominican Republic. In February we shipped 2 pallets through Faith Missions to the Ukraine. In March we shipped 24 bags through Evangelical Mission Church of Cuba, to Cuba, 25 pallets (half pallets) through Shelters International Disaster Response Society on route to Ukraine, and 4 pallets through the Emmanuel Foundation on route to Ghana. In July we shipped 8 pallets through Park Pentecostal Church to Malawi. In October we shipped 20 pallets with Food for the Hungry to Burundi Africa. On November 17th we shipped another 25 half pallets to Ukraine through Shelters International, with another 25 half lifts planned to go out in December again to Ukraine. We also have a request from GEMS (Global Emergency Missions Society) for 20 pallets to go to Central or South America. This shipment is on hold until we receive the appropriate paperwork form GEMS. Hopefully this will be going out in December.
This amounts to approximately 3,065,520 cups of soup mix.
On August 17th we were very blessed to have Dr. Santhi Anil and Dr. Anil Benjamin from Bridge of Hope India come to the plant and talk to our group of volunteers about the work they are doing in India. They came to us because we have in the past sent our vegetable mix through Bridge of Hope to India. Dr. Anil Benjamin’s father had come to us previously for a visit. Both of these people are doctors in a hospital there. She is a Pediatrician, and he is the president of Bridge of Hope India as well as a practicing doctor.






Since Ken Martens, our Plant Manager has been on a medical/compassionate leave since January of 2023 we have been running the plant with our dedicated volunteer board members. We have found that we are in need of an employee to take some of the workload off our volunteers.
We advertised in our local churches and found Paul Entz. Paul is a contract employee who started with us in July, and has proven to be an invaluable asset. Paul and wife Lydia have 8 married children and 24 grandchildren, with one more on the way in March 2024. Paul says “It’s hard to put into words what the Lord’s plans are for a person in this life, but little did we know that He had a job for me. We prayed that the Lord would guide our path and here we are at Prairie Gleaners, a Christian organization run by Christian people. All we can say is God is Good, Praise His Holy Name. It’s been a blessing to work here at Prairie Gleaners and to see smiling faces, and happy greetings each morning”.
We are so appreciative of our donors who regularly supply us with vegetables for processing, as well as other donations.
Some of the produce that have been donated to us so far this year is as follows:
Cabbage, rutabagas, carrots, string beans, onions, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, peppers, beets, potatoes, celery, beans and lentils.

On Friday November 17, 2023, we partnered with Shelters International Disaster Response Society out of Kelowna to send a shipment of our dehydrated vegetable mix to Ukraine. It was a total of 84,000 meals.
As you are well aware we have been in the middle of an expansion here at the plant. Many people have generously donated toward the purchase of the many capital expenses such as dehydrators, the new cooler etc. When people donate towards a specific item, we are legally bound by the donor’s request that the funds be spent for their intended item.

We greatly appreciate these donations, however our operating expenses have taken a back seat to those more expensive items. As you can see from the thermometer next to this article, we need general operating funds. If you attended our Annual Harvest Banquet in November, President Jack Reddekopp mentioned this as well.
We truly appreciate your financial support. We are 100% donor driven and your gifts are strictly used to operate the facility. If you would like to be a part of the ongoing work of the Prairie Gleaners, please consider leaving a legacy to the Gleaners in your will.
Legacy Gifting is a gesture that comes from the heart. It is an authorized future contribution to a charity or non-profit organization, donated on your behalf through a will or other form of legal designation. A legacy gift is a decision you can make in your own financial planning process, taking into account your charitable wishes and values.
As a valued supporter of Prairie Gleaners, you know the positive impact every donation makes. You’ll gain the satisfaction of knowing that your gift will help us continue the good work of providing a meal to those who need it most. Thanks to our volunteers and donors we’ve accomplished a lot this year, but there is so much more we can do. Every donation, big or small makes a Difference.
Please Give Generously
Some methods you can use to support the Prairie Gleaners through donations are.
- E-Transfer auto deposit to our email address: [email protected]
- By mail to Prairie Gleaners at PO Box 656, Medicine Hat, AB T1A 7G6
- Drop off at the plant at 11502 Range Road 63, Cypress County
- Donate via our website by clicking here
We recognize that many people have already donated to us in the usual manner, and want you to know that this is NOT a plea for an extra donation, however if you feel so inclined you can use the following list of items as possible donation opportunities that we could use help with.
Some items to consider for donation opportunities.
- Donate to cover the cost of our average Monthly Utilities (natural gas): $1,600.00
- Donate to cover the cost of our average Monthly Utilities (electricity): $1,600.00
- Donate to cover the cost of a box of bags for our vegetable mix (1000 bags): $170.00
- Donate to cover the cost of a lift (pallet) of our vegetable mix: $3,000.00
- Donate to cover the cost of fuel for the truck for one month: $400.00
For your donations to be eligible for 2023 Income tax receipts, please ensure we receive them by December 31, 2023.
We, the Board of The Prairie Gleaners Society, have been actively praying for God’s intervention in this matter. We are asking you to join us in prayer regarding our financial resources, and volunteer base, and in general feeding the hungry.
Don’t forget to keep up with our current plant activities by visiting our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. You can find 9 different video clips ranging from 30 seconds to about 20 minutes in length.
We would like to sincerely thank all of our volunteers, donors, staff, and anyone else who has been partnering with us to help feed the hungry, through prayer or whatever means they have at their disposal.
God bless