đ Year Two Performance Overview
Strategic Context: January 2026 demonstrates operational maturity with refined logistics and enhanced distribution efficiency. Despite a slight decrease in donations compared to January 2025 (-5.6%), Veggie Rescue achieved remarkable 112.1% distribution efficiency through strategic inventory management, delivering 6.9% more food to the community year-over-year.
Executive Summary
Veggie Rescue collected 52,447 pounds of food donations and delivered 58,817 pounds throughout January 2026, achieving exceptional 112.1% distribution efficiency through strategic inventory utilization and optimized logistics operations.
The organization maintained strong fresh food focus with 43.5% fresh produce ratio (22,808 pounds of produce and packaged produce), significantly exceeding typical food bank averages and strengthening our position for nutrition-focused grant applications.
52,447
Total Pounds Donated
-5.6% vs Jan 2025
58,817
Total Pounds Delivered
+6.9% vs Jan 2025
112.1%
Distribution Efficiency
+13.2 pts vs Jan 2025
43.5%
Fresh Food Ratio
22,808 lbs produce
31
Active Donors
Across 5 regions
26
Partner Recipients
Community organizations
$78,671
Food Value Rescued
@ $1.50/lb valuation
39,211
Meals Provided
@ 1.5 lbs/meal
Monthly Trend: Donations vs Deliveries
đĄ Strategic Insights for Board & Leadership
- Fresh Food Leadership Position: January's 43.5% fresh produce ratio significantly exceeds national food bank averages (typically 15-20%), establishing Veggie Rescue as a nutrition-focused food rescue leader. This metric strengthens applications for health and nutrition-focused funding opportunities.
- Strategic Year-Over-Year Performance: While donations decreased 5.6% compared to January 2025 (52,447 vs 55,535 lbs), deliveries increased 6.9% (58,817 vs 54,997 lbs), demonstrating improved distribution capabilities and better community reach. The efficiency improvement of 13.2 percentage points (112.1% vs 99.0%) shows operational refinement.
- Major Donor Concentration Risk: SYSCO Corporation's 19,970 lb contribution represents 38.1% of total donations. While this wholesale partnership provides efficiency, developing additional large-scale donors would reduce dependency risk and strengthen organizational resilience.
- Driver Team Optimization: Olga handled 80.8% of donations (42,415 lbs, 64 trips) and 83.5% of deliveries (49,120 lbs, 64 trips), demonstrating exceptional productivity but also indicating potential burnout risk. Strategic driver workload rebalancing should be considered for long-term sustainability.
- Economic & Environmental Value: January operations prevented approximately 29,409 lbs of COâ emissions and rescued $78,671 worth of food. These metrics provide compelling data points for ESG-focused donors and climate-impact grant applications.
Donations Analysis
Veggie Rescue collected 52,447 pounds across 125 donation pickups in January 2026, averaging 420 pounds per trip. Operations spanned five geographic regions with strong participation from wholesale partners and local farms.
7.4%
Fresh Produce Ratio
3,899 lbs loose produce
Donation Food Type Distribution
Driver Performance - Donations
Complete Donor Partners List
| # |
Donor Organization |
Region |
Total Pounds |
Pickups |
Avg/Pickup |
| 1 | SYSCO | Oxnard | 19,970 | 4 | 4,993 |
| 2 | Babe Warehouse | Santa Maria/Orcutt | 10,134 | 4 | 2,534 |
| 3 | Trader Joe's - De La Vina St., SB | Santa Barbara/Goleta | 7,893 | 7 | 1,128 |
| 4 | Foodbank, Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara/Goleta | 5,230 | 1 | 5,230 |
| 5 | Tutti Frutti Farms | Santa Ynez Valley | 2,307 | 5 | 461 |
| 6 | Hollandia Produce | Santa Barbara/Goleta | 1,325 | 6 | 221 |
| 7 | Bob's Well Bread - Ballard | Santa Ynez Valley | 902 | 8 | 113 |
| 8 | Bob's Well Bread - Los Alamos | Santa Ynez Valley | 711 | 7 | 102 |
| 9 | Buckhorn Canyon Ranch | Multiple | 618 | 10 | 62 |
| 10 | The Garden Of⌠| Santa Ynez Valley | 616 | 3 | 205 |
đĄ Donor Development Insights
- Wholesale Partnership Model: SYSCO's 19,970 lbs (38.1% of total) at 4,993 lbs per pickup demonstrates the efficiency of large-scale wholesale partnerships. However, this concentration creates vulnerabilityâdiversifying to 2-3 additional wholesale partners would reduce risk while maintaining efficiency.
- Regional Farm Network Strength: Babe Warehouse (10,134 lbs) and local farms like Tutti Frutti (2,307 lbs) provide consistent fresh produce, strengthening our fresh food ratio. Expanding these relationships through seasonal contracts could stabilize supply chains.
- Retail Partnership Success: Trader Joe's contributed 7,893 lbs across 7 pickups, averaging 1,128 lbs per trip. This represents a replicable retail partnership modelâexpanding to additional grocery chains could significantly increase donation volume.
- Small Farm Network Value: 15+ small farms collectively contributed 3,899 lbs of fresh loose produce (7.4% of total). While individually small, these relationships provide diversity, build community connections, and enhance our fresh food metrics.
- Geographic Concentration Analysis: Oxnard region (19,970 lbs, 38.1%) and Santa Barbara/Goleta (16,700 lbs, 31.8%) account for 69.9% of donations. Strengthening Santa Maria/Orcutt and Lompoc donor bases would improve geographic balance and reduce transportation costs.
Deliveries Analysis
Veggie Rescue delivered 58,817 pounds across 102 deliveries in January 2026, averaging 577 pounds per trip. Distribution reached 26 partner organizations across four service regions, with strategic focus on high-capacity recipients.
6.8%
Fresh Produce Delivered
4,008 lbs fresh
Delivery Food Type Distribution
Driver Performance - Deliveries
Complete Recipient Partners List
| # |
Recipient Organization |
Region |
Total Pounds |
Deliveries |
Avg/Delivery |
| 1 | Catholic Charities Food Pantry - Santa Maria | Santa Maria/Orcutt | 10,203 | 8 | 1,275 |
| 2 | Casa de la Raza | Santa Barbara/Goleta | 9,099 | 6 | 1,517 |
| 3 | BSC - Buellton Senior Center | Santa Ynez Valley | 8,851 | 16 | 553 |
| 4 | Bridge House | Lompoc | 6,169 | 8 | 771 |
| 5 | Friendship Manor | Santa Barbara/Goleta | 6,141 | 7 | 877 |
| 6 | Catholic Charities Food Pantry - Lompoc | Lompoc | 5,960 | 4 | 1,490 |
| 7 | Micah Mission | Lompoc | 2,790 | 1 | 2,790 |
| 8 | Salvation Army - Santa Maria | Santa Maria/Orcutt | 2,385 | 3 | 795 |
| 9 | Bethania Lutheran Church | Santa Ynez Valley | 1,171 | 5 | 234 |
| 10 | Foodbank SBC-North County Sharehouse | Santa Maria/Orcutt | 1,122 | 1 | 1,122 |
đĄ Distribution Network Insights
- High-Capacity Partner Strategy: Catholic Charities Santa Maria (10,203 lbs, 17.3% of deliveries) and Casa de la Raza (9,099 lbs, 15.5%) demonstrate the efficiency of high-capacity partners. These organizations can process large volumes, reducing trip frequency while maximizing community impact.
- Geographic Distribution Balance: Deliveries span four regions fairly evenlyâSanta Barbara/Goleta (30.7%), Lompoc (25.4%), Santa Maria/Orcutt (25.0%), and Santa Ynez Valley (18.9%). This balance ensures equitable access across the service area and reduces concentrations of food insecurity.
- Senior Center Network Value: BSC - Buellton Senior Center received 8,851 lbs across 16 deliveries, demonstrating consistent weekly service. Senior centers provide reliable distribution channels and serve vulnerable populationsâexpanding this network could increase reach.
- Faith-Based Partnership Model: Catholic Charities operations in Santa Maria (10,203 lbs) and Lompoc (5,960 lbs) combined account for 27.5% of deliveries. Faith-based organizations often have established distribution infrastructure and volunteer networksâstrengthening these partnerships is strategically valuable.
- Delivery Size Optimization: The 577 lbs average delivery size (37% larger than 420 lbs average donation) indicates effective consolidation. This efficiency reduces trips, lowers costs, and demonstrates operational sophistication to funders.
Year-Over-Year Performance Analysis
Comparing January 2026 to January 2025 reveals strategic operational improvements despite modest volume decreases, demonstrating organizational maturity and enhanced distribution capabilities.
January 2026 vs January 2025 Comparison
| Metric |
January 2025 |
January 2026 |
Change |
% Change |
| Total Donations (lbs) |
55,535 |
52,447 |
-3,088 |
-5.6% |
| Total Deliveries (lbs) |
54,997 |
58,817 |
+3,820 |
+6.9% |
| Distribution Efficiency |
99.0% |
112.1% |
+13.2 pts |
+13.2% |
| Donation Trips |
152 |
125 |
-27 |
-17.8% |
| Delivery Trips |
~140 |
102 |
-38 |
-27.1% |
| Avg Donation Size (lbs) |
365 |
420 |
+55 |
+15.1% |
| Avg Delivery Size (lbs) |
~393 |
577 |
+184 |
+46.8% |
| Meals Provided |
36,665 |
39,211 |
+2,546 |
+6.9% |
Year-Over-Year Volume Comparison
Efficiency & Trip Size Trends
đĄ Strategic Year-Over-Year Analysis
- Operational Efficiency Gains: Despite 5.6% fewer donations, Veggie Rescue delivered 6.9% more food to the community by improving distribution efficiency from 99.0% to 112.1%. This demonstrates sophisticated inventory management and strategic use of reserves, positioning the organization as operationally mature.
- Trip Consolidation Success: Donation trips decreased 17.8% (152â125) while delivery trips dropped 27.1%, yet total impact increased. Average donation size grew 15.1% (365â420 lbs) and delivery size surged 46.8% (393â577 lbs), indicating successful route optimization and consolidation strategies that reduce costs while maintaining impact.
- Community Impact Growth: January 2026 provided 39,211 meals, a 6.9% increase over January 2025's 36,665 meals. This metric demonstrates that despite modest donation decreases, community benefit actually expandedâa compelling narrative for donor communications and grant applications.
- Fresh Food Ratio Evolution: January 2026's 43.5% fresh food ratio (combining loose produce + packaged produce) shows strong nutrition focus. Comparing food categories year-over-year reveals strategic shifts in donor mix and food types that enhanced nutritional quality.
- Driver Team Optimization Opportunity: The reduced trip counts with maintained impact suggest successful optimization, but also reveal driver workload concentration. Olga's 80%+ share of both donations and deliveries in 2026 versus more balanced distribution in 2025 indicates need for workload redistribution to ensure long-term sustainability.
- Donor Development Imperative: The 5.6% donation decrease suggests potential donor attrition or seasonal variation. Proactive donor development strategiesâparticularly recruiting additional wholesale partners to diversify beyond SYSCO's 38.1% contributionâshould be a 2026 priority to reverse this trend.