Food insecurity has become a very real obstacle for many people in the wake of the pandemic, and Mindy Poortinga—founder of LasVegan Food Bank in Las Vegas—is finding a way to help. The food bank was born out of Poortinga’s desire to give back and assist the community while also staying true to her ethics as a vegan.
The food bank is currently working out of Ranch Island Rescue Animal Sanctuary, with pickups offered every other Saturday from 1-2pm. The bank runs on a reservation system to maximize efficiency and streamline the contactless pickups. You can sign up for a box via the group’s Facebook page, and anyone is welcome to receive food.
In the few short weeks they’ve been operating, the food bank has seen great demand from the community. They’ve given out more than sixty boxes of food (each box contains about ten meals), and are working to grow their volunteer base and online presence to continue to reach more people in the community. Several vegan restaurants in the area have joined in and are acting as drop-off locations for people to leave non-perishable donations. The team has also created a Venmo account (@LasVegan-FoodBank) to offset the costs of adding fresh produce to the boxes.
If you’d like to get involved, check out the group’s Facebook page for more information.
