Feeding San Diego Receives Sierra Club Award for Environmental Leadership
The Sierra Club San Diego Chapter has announced that Feeding San Diego and CEO Vince Hall will receive a Fantastic Environmental Action Taken (FEAT) Award at their 2019 Awards Dinner Celebration on Saturday, May 4, 2019.
This award is being presented in celebration and recognition of the innovative approach of Feeding San Diego in rescuing and distributing food that would otherwise go to waste, resulting in a major contribution to the environment.
Peter Andersen, Chairperson of Sierra Club San Diego, said: “I can think of no person and organization more deserving of a FEAT Award than Feeding San Diego and its CEO Vince Hall. FEAT awards go to organizations that have performed an exceptional or noble deed of environmental leadership or stewardship in San Diego or Imperial County which is very apropos for this person and organization.”
“We are honored to be receiving this award from Sierra Club, the nation’s largest and most influential environmental organization. Solving the problems of hunger and food waste have been viewed as separate issues for too long. At Feeding San Diego we are solving both problems at the same time,” said Vince Hall, CEO of Feeding San Diego. Feeding San Diego provides 26 million meals per year to people facing hunger in San Diego and Imperial Counties, including children, seniors and families. 97% of food distributed by Feeding San Diego is rescued that would otherwise go to waste. Food is rescued from over 500 locations throughout the county, including 204 Starbucks stores that provide 750,000 pounds of food annually from Starbucks alone.
According to Project Drawdown, one-third of all food that we raise or grow never makes it onto our plates, and that waste accounts for around 8% of global emissions of greenhouse gasses. Methane is a leading Greenhouse Gas (GHG), which is more dangerous to the environment than carbon dioxide. Feeding San Diego is making a major contribution to the reduction of methane emissions, and in doing so, addressing urgent climate action.
In addition to reducing GHG emissions from landfills, Feeding San Diego dramatically reduces its carbon footprint by rescuing and distributing food on a local scale instead of operating a large centralized repository. This model also saves vehicle miles and subsequent carbon emissions. This innovative approach to rescuing and distributing food in a green way is a major win for the environment, and for the nearly half a million San Diegans facing hunger.
Feeding San Diego will receive the Sierra Club San Diego 2019 FEAT Award (Fantastic Environmental Action Taken) at the 2019 Awards Dinner Celebration on Saturday, May 4, 2019, at the Hilton Harbor Island Hotel from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm.
