St Francis Soup Kitchen feeds over 600 people on average per week. Our servings include full plate dinners and soup and sandwiches which we alternate. For many years back into the 1990's the Soup Kitchen has benefitted from its association with Waste Not Want Not.Each week we receive dozens of loaves of bread, baked goods, occasionally drinks, frozen soups and fried chicken. We use all that we receive. The fact is that the Soup kitchen could not serve the community's neediest and destitute with out Waste Not Want Not's support and contribution. We are dependent on them and they are completely dependable. As a Plus, the people we deal with are very nice, professional and responsible; the best!
The efficiency and generosity of this group are phenomenal! Like a well-oiled machine, on each day they gather food throughout the area and redistribute it to nonprofits assisting impoverished people. Throughout the year they have given us truckloads of food-juice, applesauce, snacks, pastries-allowing us to nearly double the amount of weekend food we provide for children. And to think that without this group, all that food would go to waste...!
Waste Not Want Not is a Volunteer-Based Group that exists to prevent the discarding of items that can be used to fight hunger and poverty in N. E. Florida. We receive and distribute 362 days a year.Contributions are pick up by volunteers (in their own vehicles) from supermarkets and restaurants and warehouses for large grocery chains. WNWN has picked up and distributed over 1.5 million pounds of food this past year and will grow by over 15 % this year.
I am a lucky person to be working for this fine organization and I salute our dedicated volunteers!!
Waste Not Want Not is one of the best run non-profits in our area. On behalf of MPWC Charities, I commend this organization for what they do for the community. MPWC has made monetary donations to this charity for several years and have researched them thoroughly. They are an efficient, effective non-profit. Because we have similar missions, we feel we are able work together to achieve the greatest good.
I started as a volunteer, just based on the wonderful name of this non-profit. It so inspired me, and the other folks I worked along side, everyone so dedicated to helping others, it was impossible not to get enthusiastic! When I was asked to join the board, I was flattered. I am so fortunate to have spent a few years with this group, planning ways to increase both our donors and our recipients, motivating our volunteer-only staff, and planning for growth of the organization. Saving and redistributing over a million pounds of food each year made me even prouder of our concentrated efforts. Being part of the expansion into larger space was an example of the good work they do. We distributed food as usual on Friday and Monday morning we were completely moved into new space and filling the recipients cars and trucks with healthy food. The only reason I no longer work with the wonderful folks is that I moved 1500 miles away!
I volunteer with Kairos Prison Ministry, Inc. We conduct 3 day Christain based retreats in 5 state prisons in the NE Florida area. Waste Not Want Not (WNWN) helps us with cookies that we distribute to the inmates during the weekend as snacks and dessert for meals that we eat together. The volunteers at WNWN are really great, easy to work with and always helpful. Many organizations are much larger than the Kairos ministry but WNWN always finds time to help us in our need. I thank God for the retail stores in our area that are willing to allow WNWN to redistribute this food to so many needy organizations. I also thank God for the many volunteers that make WNWN work so well.
I have had the honor of volunteering at Waste Not Want Not for the last 4 years. I was in search of a local charity where I could make a difference. I found that at Waste Not!
The dedication and generosity of spirit of the volunteers is contagious! To be a part of an organization focused on rescuing food so that others might benefit is humbling and gratifying.
Food is not wasted and people, who would otherwise go without, are fed!
It is a win - win situation.
Waste Note Want Not's supprt has allowed our church to begin our Missions Kitchen outreach. We are serving hot dinners to those in our community once a month and the numbers of attendees continue to increase. The first night, four people attended. Over the past five months, that number has increased to 40. We feel very blessed to have the opportunity to serve these meals to those who really need them and without Waste Not Want's provision of food, we would not have ben able to continue this mission.
