Feeding South Florida VP of Community Relations Named a Finalist for 2015 Up & Comer Awards

Feeding South Florida Vice President of Community Relations Sari Vatske has been named a finalist for South Florida Business & Wealth magazine’s 2015 Up & Comer Awards in the Non-Profit category.

As a leader with Feeding South Florida, Vatske has made a great impact on the lives of 871,920 South Floridians facing food insecurity.

The Up & Comer Awards program, created by South Florida Business & Wealth magazine and Lifestyle Media Group, showcases the many South Florida professionals whose dedication to their occupation and community deserves recognition. The awards honor individuals 39 years of age or younger who exhibit drive and promise; someone poised to become — or who already is — a proven leader in their field. Finalists represent a wide range of backgrounds and industries.

Finalists and winners will be recognized at the Up & Comer Awards program on Thursday, June 18, 5:30 p.m. at The Venue in Wilton Manors, located at 2345 Wilton Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305.

In her position, Vatske is responsible for an increased food distribution from 29 million pounds in 2012, to 33 million pounds in 2013, and to 37 million pounds in 2014. This helps to set the table for 871,920 million individuals in need of food assistance, including 287,650 children, 150,000 older adults and the working poor, in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. She oversees development, sorting as part of distribution, supervises 18 employees, and works with the executive team on strategic planning. She oversaw the Hunger in America 2014 hunger study/gap analysis for Feeding South Florida, involving a substantial amount of research and outreach. She is responsible for agency relations, client services, compliance & capability, distribution, expansion and development of programs and strategic initiatives.

“I’m honored to be a finalist for this award that recognizes the best and brightest ‘rising stars’ in South Florida,” said Vatske. “It’s crucial that the South Florida community continues to work toward Feeding South Florida’s mission to end hunger in the area, and I am proud to be a part of that mission.”

About Feeding South Florida™
Feeding South Florida’s mission is to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts, and transforming lives through innovative programming and education. Feeding South Florida™ is one of 202 member food banks in the Feeding America™ network, the sole Feeding America food bank in South Florida, and the largest food bank in the state, serving 30 percent of the state’s food insecure population. Through a local network of approximately 325 nonprofit partner agencies, Feeding South Florida distributes almost 37 million pounds of food annually, serving 871,920 individuals in need of food assistance, 287,650 of whom are children, and 150,000 are older adults, throughout Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. For more information, visit www.feedingsouthflorida.orgor call 954.518.1818.

To learn more about the awards, click here.
To view the full list of finalists, click here.

See full article here.