Packing Day

Once a year, churches from across the Pacific Northwest gather at Wiley Heights to bag apples, press cider, share a BBQ lunch, and turn a harvest into hope. Come for an hour or stay all day — every pair of hands helps.

When
Saturday, October 24th
10:30 AM
Where
Wiley Heights Covenant
12504 Gilbert Rd, Yakima
Cost
Free - lunch included
All ages welcome

What the Day Looks Like

Volunteer Registration

Let us know that you and your church are here and collect your packet of information.

Free BBQ Lunch

Join us for a wonderful lunch to get energized for our bagging.

Project Update Meeting

Hear about what good work is happening in Honduras with COCEPRADIL and receive instructions on how to bag apples.

Bag Apples, Load Vehicles, and Kids Activities

We bag apples in order of distance, so that churches that have traveled the farthest can get a head start on the road if they like. We also have activities for the kids, and cider pressing for everyone.

Complete Packing & Clean Up

We move quickly to get everything bagged up, but any and all help is appreciated so we can get cleaned up after the project is complete.

Fun For the Whole Family

  • People using an old apple cider press
    Pressing Apple Cider
  • Gathering in the church basement for a BBQ lunch
    BBQ Lunch
  • Kids exploring an old farm tractor
    Kids On an Old Tractor
  • People filling bags of fresh picked apples from a bin
    Packing Apples

Directions From the Seattle Area

  1. Take Interstate 90 or Hwy 12 to Interstate 82.
  2. Head South on Interstate 82.
  3. Get off on exit # 36 for W. Valley Mall Blvd.
  4. Head west on W. Valley Mall Blvd. and travel 1.8 miles to 3rd Ave.
  5. Take a left on 3rd Ave. and travel .4 miles to W. Ahtanum Rd.
  6. Take a right on W. Ahtanum Rd. and travel 7.7 miles to Gilbert Rd.
  7. Take a right on Gilbert Rd. and travel .4 miles up a hill to Wiley Heights Covenant Church

Directions From the Portland Area

  1. Take Interstate 84 to Hwy 97 (North)
  2. Take Hwy 97 (North) to Interstate 82.
  3. In Toppenish, follow signs to Interstate 82, which should mean at the first light you continue straight on Hwy 22/Elm St. to the Interstate
  4. Head North on Interstate 82.
  5. Get off on exit # 36 for W. Valley Mall Blvd.
  6. Head west on W. Valley Mall Blvd and travel 1.8 miles to 3rd St.
  7. Take a left on 3rd Ave. and travel .4 miles to W. Ahtanum Rd.
  8. Take a right on W. Ahtanum Rd. and travel 7.7 miles to Gilbert Rd.

Animals at Packing Day

Animals are welcome on Packing Day, however, they will not be allowed in the church. Unfortunately, due to concerns about allergens pets will not be allowed in the building. This does not apply to service animals or service animals in training. Most of Packing Day takes place outside and, if you need to go inside, a Sharing the Harvest Coordinator will be happy to watch your animals outside while you go inside. In the past we have had many dogs attend Packing Day and we would love to have more animals attend in the future!

If you have any questions, please feel free to call us ahead of Packing Day.

Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to seeing you with your furry friends!

Man in orange vest petting two dogs in a car.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will you serve lunch?

We provide all those attending packing day with a wonderful lunch at no cost. We start serving at 11 AM.

What should I bring?

Bring weather-appropriate clothes. The temperature highs for this time of the year is between 50 and 60 degrees. It tends to be sunny and dry, but check the weather before you come.

What type of activities are included outside of bagging apples?

A fan favorite, especially among the kids, is cider-pressing. We have some containers, but invite you to bring your own if you’d like to take some home with you. We also have had a variety of kids’ activities in the past including pumpkins to color, apples just for kids, and a playground to explore and have fun. Kids are of course welcome to participate in bagging apples, but we ask family members to keep a close eye on them at all times.

How should we prepare for loading and transporting apples?

Be mindful to have a vehicle or vehicles that can haul back the apples your church purchased. A pick-up truck or church van is a great vehicle for this, but a car can certainly do the trick as well depending on the side of the order. And remember, apples while hearty are still a fruit and can bruise, so handle them gently.

Can we purchase additional apples on packing day?

Yes, we have additional apples available for purchase on packing day. We have also, in the past, had growers donate some additional fruit including Honeycrisp Apples and Asian Pears.

What if we cannot make it to Packing Day? How do we get our apples to our church?

We would strongly encourage you to send a group or at least an individual to participate in the packing day and transport apples back to your church. It is a great way to make connections and helps out tremendously with the whole project. If no one from your church is able to come and transport we will work with you to get the apples to your church. Do not let this get in the way of you participating.