Partner Spotlight: Vindeket

It’s rare to find situations that are truly win-win. Vindeket has done just that.

The organization is blazing a path for sustainability by offering an easy way for food suppliers to avoid waste, empowering food access for everyday consumers and non-profits (like Crossroads!) and building a closeknit community that is creating societal change. Over the years, Vindeket has grown into a full-scale non-profit marketplace and leader in food rescue.

When I sat down with Nathan Shaw, Founder and Executive Director of Vindeket, we talked about what had inspired him to start the organization. His answer was resoundingly powerful in its simplicity: “I was seeing a ton of waste, and I felt compelled to do something about it.”

Vindeket is reducing waste and increasing appreciation of imperfect food.

In the US, 40% of all food produced ends up in the landfill – that’s a lot of wasted food! Vindeket is fighting to change this. Its creative name combines “vindicate” and “advocate”. Its purpose: be an advocate of food vindication. The organization partners with food suppliers across the community including farms, restaurants, grocery stores, and distributors to collect excess, damaged, expired, or overstocked food. There are a lot of reasons that food finds its way into the bags of Vindeket marketplace shoppers and onto the shelves of non-profit pantries. Through the environmental stewardship and ethos of its partnering food suppliers, Vindeket rescues nearly 2 million pounds of food each year – that’s a lot of rescued food!

One of the most unique aspects of the organization, is that it’s almost entirely volunteer run. It’s clear that Vindeket volunteers are passionate about the cause. “Our volunteers are awesome, they are the lifeblood of the organization, they make it work,” Shaw says, glowing with gratitude. “When people give back to their community, to society, to the environment – that starts change.” Volunteers work hard to sort through food for quality control, stock the marketplace, and keep things running. The marketplace is open to anyone and over 15,000 community members come there each month, shopping side-by-side across demographics. Shaw describes one shopper who came up to him and said, “Thank you for this work. This place doesn’t make me feel broken.”

The Vindeket marketplace helps dispel myths and remove stigmas around food access. “Waste is a worldwide issue. We as a society are obsessed with perfection. We care a lot about how things look, or what things should be like. Sometimes we forget that just because food doesn’t look perfect, doesn’t mean it’s not edible,” Shaw explains. There is a difference between food safety (Is it safe to eat?) and food quality (How fresh is it?). Vindeket is committed to both food safety and revaluing imperfect food. Together, we can keep food out of the landfill!

Building a stronger sense of community in Fort Collins, with non-profits like Crossroads.

Vindeket partners with over 30 non-profits across the community to supply rescued food. It has strong years-long partnerships with organizations like Fort Collins Rescue Mission, The Matthews House, North 40 food pantry, Catholic Charities, and Harvest Farm. It also continues to evolve and connect with different non-profits to form new partnerships, like with Crossroads.

Crossroads and Vindeket recently started partnering, to help supply food for survivors at the safehouse and for the Family Justice Center that is opening early 2026. As Crossroads Executive Director Lori Warren explains, this partnership is a huge help in getting immediate basic needs met, including food. “We recognize that a family may come into the Family Justice Center, spend a couple of hours getting services and have to go home or to safe housing, without food for the night or breakfast for the next morning. We want them to get that from the pantry, so it’s one less thing they have to worry about after such a stressful day.”

Building a sense of community – centered on empowerment, sustainability, and compassion – is core to the missions of both Vindeket and Crossroads. The partnership across these organizations amplifies their impact, teaming up to help prevent food waste and help support survivors. A true win-win. As Shaw describes, “It’s really cool to see how much people care about the community, care about the earth, and care about one another.”

How can you get involved with Vindeket?

Make a donation!
Donate here: https://www.vindeketfoods.org/rootbound

Donations cover all of the operating expenses, making it possible for them to do what they do! Vindeket moved to a new location in February 2025 to help meet growing demand and is currently running a Capital Campaign to fund building out the facility. You can help by donating money or equipment on the “wish list” like trucks, a walk-in freezer or a walk-in cooler.

Volunteer!
Sign up here: https://www.vindeketfoods.org/getinvolved

Vindeket is run by the community, for the community. If you’re interested in being part of the food rescue movement, just go to the schedule and sign up for a “New and In Training” shift. Volunteers at Vindeket find community and friendship – it’s a magical place!

Become a food supplier:
If you make food, have food, or grow food – reach out to Vindeket at info@vindeket.org

Discussing why food suppliers partner with Vindeket, Shaw explains, “They get a tax write-off for donating to a non-profit. And it’s just the right thing to do – it feels good! No one wants to throw stuff away, so if they have another option, most people take it.”