Vintage Wine Estates, Inc. (NASDAQ: VWE) (TSX: VWE.U) (TSX: VWE.WT.U), one of the fastest-growing wine producers in the U.S. with an industry-leading direct-to-customer platform announced a milestone of one million meals donated by its Angels Share campaign to fight food insecurity.
Angels Share is the small portion of wine in the barrel that is lost to evaporation—winemakers like to call it a donation to the angels. Eight years ago, Vintage Wine Estates (VWE) created a campaign, called Angels Share, to support neighbors in need with holiday boxes of healthy food. Ever since, in partnership with the Redwood Empire Food Bank, employees have gathered in lieu of a holiday party to pack food—using the production line and boxes typically used for wine.
“With a virtual event last year, we regrouped in 2021 under Covid-safe protocols to once again have an in-person packing event at our Santa Rosa warehouse,” explained Katy Long, VWE Director of Angels Share. “With a smaller crew we still managed to pack 3,000 boxes in well under three hours and sent them off in our trucks to our neighbor, Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB), for distribution this holiday season.”
Since its inception, Angels Share has provided over one million meals—not only to REFB, which serves California communities from the Oregon border to the North Bay, but to nine other food banks in Colorado, Maryland, Alabama, South Carolina, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Food insecurity is a national challenge and with the support of Angels Share and VWE’s nationwide network of distributors, retailers and restaurants, the food needs of seniors, families and those in need, especially in these challenging pandemic times, will be met.
VWE also lends a hand to REFB throughout the year in the form of thousands of gently used wine boxes, upcycled and donated to pack food.
“We are grateful to VWE for its leadership and ongoing hands-on commitment to help stop hunger in our community.” said Lisa Cannon, Director of Programs for Redwood Empire Food Bank. “Neighbors helping neighbors—that’s what it’s about.”
