This edition of Grace :: Balance :: Courage is brought to you by the luscious orange trees gracing roads and parking lots throughout Maricopa County.

If you’ve spent any amount of time in Scottsdale, Tempe, or elsewhere in the Phoenix area, I know you’ve seen the gorgeous orange trees that typically line areas of road and parking lots. There are several of these spots near my house, and my office parking lot has plenty as well.

I’ve seemed to notice lately that no one seems to do anything with the fruit when it’s ready to pick. It just sits there, rots, and falls off the tree useless. Why is this? One thing I love and appreciate about this area is all the green and local initiatives that are everywhere. How does something like this go unnoticed? I would love to find out how something could get started to harvest the fruit when its ready. It could be put to such good use – be sold to benefit the community, or better yet, be given to the homeless and those who desperately could use it.

Does anyone in the area know of any initiatives, past or present, lost or won, that deal with this issue? I’d love to become involved if there is.