Vindeket

THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO EMPOWER EACH OF US TO TAKE OWNERSHIP IN THE FOOD CYCLE TO RESTORE OUR EARTH, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OURSELVES.

2022 WAS ANOTHER YEAR OF EXPLOSIVE GROWTH. NOT ONLY DID WE INCREASE THE POUNDS OF FOOD RESCUED TO 1,087,984 POUNDS, BUT WE DID THIS WITH ONLY ONE FULL TIME STAFF AND A COUPLE OF PART TIME CONTRACTORS. TESTIMONIAL FROM OUR PARTICIPANTS: "WE KEEP CLOSE TRACK OF OUR FOOD BUDGET. AS A FAMILY OF FOUR THAT COOKS AND EATS THREE MEALS A DAY AT HOME THE LAST FIVE YEARS WE HAVE SPENT ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT ON GROCERIES, ABOUT 14,000. WE JUST FINISHED UP OUR 2022 BUDGET. PARTICIPATING AT VINDEKET THIS LAST YEAR WE'VE SAVED OVER 4,000 ON FOOD." "VOLUNTEERING AT VINDEKET HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL EXPERIENCES OF MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER. IN THE SEVERAL POSITIONS THAT I HAVE WORKED, I'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAM CAMARADERIE AND ALSO LEARNED THE PROPER WAY TO MANAGE A TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS. ALONG WITH THAT, THE PERSONAL INTERACTIONS I HAVE HAD WITH MANY OF THE SHOPPER/PARTICIPANTS HAS LEFT A LARGE IMPACT ON ME THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET." OUR SERVICE PARTICIPANTS HAVE BEEN OUTSTANDING AND ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESSES IN 2022. IN 2022, WE HAD 622 VOLUNTEERS, WITH 307 OF THEM REPEAT VOLUNTEERS (WORKING MORE THAN ONE SHIFT). WE HAVE 120 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS AT ANY GIVEN TIME - WITH ABOUT 100 VOLUNTEER SLOTS PER WEEK THAT ARE 98% FILLED. THEIR COMMITMENT TO VINDEKET IS VITAL, AND ALIGNS WITH OUR LARGER MISSION AND CHARITABLE PURPOSES. WE ARE ECSTATIC AND GRATEFUL TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY STEP UP ITS EFFORTS TO PREVENT WASTE IN OUR LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY, AS WELL AS TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER. ADDITIONALLY, THE LARGER AMOUNTS AND GREATER VARIETY OF FOOD RESCUED ALLOWED US TO BETTER SERVE OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS AND MEET MORE OF THEIR NEEDS IN 2022.