Giving back

Kim Sharpe

Diving in to help

How volunteers are helping to feed Fort Collins

WHEN YOU GROW UP ON a cattle ranch, you get used to hard work of all kinds and it’s hard to quit that habit. Just ask Deb Artzer, a retired teacher who gives much of her time and talent back to the community.

Deb’s volunteer curriculum vitae is awe inspiring. For 10 years, she gave tours and helped manage wedding details at the Avery House in Fort Collins. For three years, she dressed up on Sunday afternoons as Linkelton, a pink bug-like character who would appear at children’s performances to teach audiences about theater etiquette. She also teaches safe cycling to kids through the City of Fort Collins Safe Routes to School program; helps Trees, Water & People reforestation and community building projects; supports women athletes through the Female Athlete Network; makes sure local children from families with a lowincome receive Christmas gifts from Serve 6:8; and drives undocumented people wherever they need to go, like the immigration office in Denver or to a driver’s license bureau.

Last summer she learned about a new nonprofit that piqued her interest—Vindeket Foods.

Vindeket is a grocery store that rescues food from restaurants, other grocery stores, and farms—“food on the edge,” as Vindeket founder Nathan Shaw calls it. Consumers want to see perfect fruit and vegetables, so stores throw away a lot of edible food if it’s blemished in any way. Shaw discovered this while dumpster diving, which he likes to do for fun. “I’m a resourceful kind of guy who likes to make magic happen,” Shaw says. When he witnessed the overabundance of food waste, he decided to do something about it, so he opened Vindeket Foods.

The grocery store relies almost exclusively on volunteers to reclaim food, stock the store and sell its inventory. Deb is one of about 100 people who make it happen, and there’s a need for many more. Vindeket Foods (www.vindeket.org), located at 1317 Webster Ave. in Fort Collins, is open for business at various times on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Deb volunteers regularly on Tuesday afternoons and more when she can.

“When I learned about Vindeket from a friend in a Spanish-conversation group I’m in, I thought, ‘It would be fun to do retail,’” Deb says. “But I’ll also do just about anything. I’ve told Nate (Shaw) to just call me when he needs help. One time I put some of my ranching skills to work to build and repair some metal shelves. I love the work. It’s good for the environment and it’s good for people.”

She encourages others to find a way to give back to the community in a way that’s meaningful for them. “As a retired person, volunteering is a way to get you out of the house, and it keeps you mentally and physically active. It’s so good to get out there and do something purposeful.”