Rise and shine! Fiery orange clouds streak across a Friday morning sky in Canyon Crest. (Karen Burleson) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Sunday Gazette: January 11, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! Today is National Sunday Supper Day, a perfect reminder to gather around the table with the people who matter most. Whether you're cooking up a family recipe, ordering takeout from a local favorite, or keeping it simple with whatever's in the fridge, it's the company that makes the meal meaningful.
Wishing you a warm and delicious Sunday evening!
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Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Jon Allen, Ron Diu, Brian Kerr and Andy Plumley. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
Riverside Backyards Feed Neighbors Through Gleaning Program
Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino collects excess produce from residential properties to distribute to families in need.
Luis Molina with Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino stands with bags of freshly gleaned Meyer lemons from a Judith Glenn's backyard. The organization's volunteers rescue fruit that would otherwise go to waste, redistributing it to community members facing food insecurity. (Courtesy of Judith Glenn)
Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino collected nearly 24,000 pounds of citrus and produce from residential properties last year through volunteer gleaning teams.
Why it matters: If you have excess fruit trees in your Riverside yard, volunteers will harvest the produce for free and distribute it to neighbors facing food insecurity — keeping food out of landfills while feeding your community.
By the numbers: The food bank conducted 33 gleaning events across both counties in 2024, diverting tons of fresh produce from waste.
Most common harvests: oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, with some pomegranates, apples and avocados
What's happening: Volunteer teams visit residential properties, farms and gardens when trees overflow during peak harvest season — typically late winter and early spring for citrus.
The big picture: The program is expanding to include winter vegetables like carrots, beets and potatoes, which would provide fresh produce year-round.
Many Inland Empire homes produce more citrus than owners can use
Yes, but: The program's biggest barrier is awareness — homeowners don't know they can donate excess produce, and volunteers aren't familiar with gleaning.
Neighbor of the Week is a series profiling the hidden heroes of Riverside, doing incredible works of service throughout our different neighborhoods.
Jim Palmer donates blood at LifeStream Blood Bank in Riverside, reaching his milestone 100th gallon on January 31st. Palmer has been a faithful donor for nearly 30 years, giving 800 pints that have potentially helped save or improve the lives of more than 2,000 people. (Brenda Flowers)
Jim Palmer has spent nearly three decades quietly making a profound difference in the lives of strangers. On January 31st, surrounded by fellow donors and the phlebotomist who drew his 10th gallon, Jim reached an extraordinary milestone at Lifestream in Riverside: his 100th gallon of blood donated. That's 800 pints—enough to potentially save or improve the lives of more than 2,000 people. "It warms my heart each time I donate, knowing that someone in need will be given a chance at a better life due to my sacrifice," Jim says. For him, blood donation isn't just a good deed; it's a calling that brings joy with every visit.
While Jim's blood donation journey is remarkable, his commitment to community extends far beyond the donation center. For over 30 years, he has been an active member of Magnolia Church in Riverside, participating in countless church-sponsored events and supporting outside groups that use the facility. He also helps sponsor an annual KCBS Master Series BBQ Event in Riverside, bringing professional pit masters from across the state and country to compete while drawing certified BBQ judges who volunteer their expertise. The event has become a celebration of BBQ culture that highlights the culinary talent in the local community.
Though not a California native, Jim has spent more of his life in Riverside County than anywhere else. "To me, community matters," he explains. "God blesses each one of us with certain gifts, and I am blessed to be gifted with a desire to serve others. Riverside is my home for now. Serving others here brings joy to my heart." Whether he's at Lifestream, at his church, or enjoying a quiet evening with his wife at one of Riverside's local restaurants, Jim embodies the spirit of service that makes Riverside special.
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
Greetings, fellow humans. It’s great to be back after a short winter nap; I firmly believe my time away is not far off from the actual length of winter in Riverside. Last month (or last year if you lean dramatic) we wrapped up four more seasons of creative poking and prodding—making sounds out of jars, turning sidewalks into galleries, and generally finding meaning where none was promised. If you participated in even one of those exercises, thank you. I’m excited to begin 2026 with you.
Which brings us to this week’s creative nudge: an old calendar. In my house, calendars are not generic objects. Every year, my wife makes me a custom calendar using photos from the year before: trips we took, our pets doing pet things, our daughter growing faster than seems polite. Each January, I unwrap a brand-new artifact of recent memory… and immediately face the quiet, unresolved problem of what to do with last year’s version of my life.
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