SPUD "Delivers" $74,000 worth of food to at-risk populations

VANCOUVER - Thanks to the kindness and generosity of Small Potatoes Urban Delivery (SPUD) and its customers, Quest Outreach Society is able to provide $74,000 worth of food to the hungry.

Quest Outreach Society is a non-profit organization that rescues edible food destined for the landfill and redistributes it to those in need. Last fiscal year, Quest rescued $6.25 million worth of food, which helped to feed more than 480, 000 people throughout the Lower Mainland. This year, 134 SPUD customers contributed a total of $7,144 in cash donations. Because Quest is able to recover $10.32 worth of food for every dollar donation, SPUD's customers effectively provided $74,000 worth of food to those in need.

"It is through the kindness and generosity of socially responsible companies like SPUD that Quest is able to continue to address the fundamental needs of our less fortunate citizens," says Shelley Wells, Executive Director of Quest. "There is a sad irony in this. In the midst of plenty, so many are going hungry despite millions of tons of perfectly good food being discarded", say Wells. In partnership with 162 food suppliers like SPUD, Quest prevented 6.25 million dollars worth of edible food from being sent to the landfill last year (still less than 0.5% of all discarded food).

As a recipient of the 2002 Ethics in action award, SPUD also donates almost all of its unsold produce to Quest on a weekly basis, totalling over $30,000 of organic food last year. SPUD has also spearheaded a donation campaign where its customers make regular donations when they order online. "Even in a rich country like Canada there are still those who don't have access to regular healthy meals." says Dareen Stott, SPUD's Marketing Manager, "Quest provides that basic need for thousands in our community and SPUD is honoured to support them." SPUD's online donation campaign has resulted in a cash donation of over $8,000 Quest.

About Quest: Quest Outreach Society is a non-profit organization that rescues edible food destined for the landfill and redistributes it to those in need. In its 2003/04 fiscal year, Quest collected $6.25 million worth of food, which helped to feed more than 480,000 people throughout the Lower Mainland. Website: www.questoutreach.org

About SPUD: SPUD is Canada's leading organic home delivery service. SPUD is short for "Small Potatoes Urban Delivery", emphasizing its support for local, small scale food providers. SPUD delivers the freshest, tastiest, organic produce plus a full range of wholesome groceries to homes and offices throughout the BC Lower Mainland, Whistler region and Southern Vancouver Island. Website: www.spud.ca