From backyard to table: Cupertino residents’ effort fights hunger with harvested fruit

CUPERTINO RESIDENT Vidula Aiyer’s idea to address food waste and hunger in her community is simple — gather volunteers to pick fruit that would otherwise rot on residents’ trees and give it to people in need. All she requires is an 8-foot ladder, buckets and free access to strangers’ backyards.

Aiyer, who leads the Rotary Club of Cupertino’s fruit harvesting pilot program in collaboration with hunger and homelessness nonprofit West Valley Community Services, has harvested more than 850 pounds of fresh fruit since the idea came to life last spring. Her team of roughly 10 volunteers has picked fruit three times from residents who offer their trees to the program, including lemons, oranges and plums. The team picks fruit for a few hours once a month. The harvest goes to West Valley Community Services, where people facing food insecurity can enjoy fruit from backyard to table.