Imperfect proudly partners with Second Helpings. They accept donated perishable and overstocked food to prepare nutritious meals for thousands of hungry children and adults every day. Second Helpings distributes them free of charge through local social service agencies in Greater Indianapolis. Second Helpings also trains unemployed and underemployed adults for meaningful careers in the culinary industry.

We sat down with Nora Spitznogle, Senior Director of Programs to learn more about Second Helpings and chat about our work together!

IF: Tell us about Second Helpings!

NS: We are a community kitchen. We’re not just teaching people to cook, we’re providing an avenue for people to transform their own lives. We don’t just collect food, we rescue food because we can’t stand to see it go to waste when others have none.

IF: How many folks do you serve?

NS: We prepare and deliver almost one million meals a year that we send at no cost to 90 other social service agencies. Our culinary job-training program trains over 100 adults annually in job readiness and culinary skills.

IF: How has Imperfect impacted your reach?

NS: With the weekly donations from Imperfect we are able to add lots of fresh vegetables to the 4,000 meals that we prepare each day. It is fantastic to be able to prepare food and cook with such amazing fresh produce!

IF: How can folk get involved?

NS: We couldn’t do this without our amazing volunteers – the volunteers outnumber the staff at least two-to-one each day. Visit our volunteer page to learn more!

IF: Is there anything else you want our readers to know about Second Helpings? 

NS: We are in awe of the generosity of our community and the dedication of our volunteers.

If you want to help us support Second Helpings, please head to their website to learn how can donate and volunteer!