1. Jennifer Denson, Burrito Brigade and Waste to Taste, 1775 W. 6th Ave., BurritoBrigade.org.
2. Cary Lieberman, Greenhill Humane Society, 88530 Green Hill Road, Green-hill.org.
3. Brittiny Raine, CORE: Community Outreach through Radical Empowerment, Zephyr House, 692 Jefferson St., 541-870-0036, COREEugene.org.
Burrito Brigade’s Executive Director Jennifer Denson is fighting hunger one burrito at a time. Delivering more than 700 burritos weekly to Lane County residents experiencing food insecurity, these food fighters are well into the 10th year of their mission.
With a mighty leader like Denson at the helm, it’s no surprise EW readers awarded her the honor of Best Nonprofit Director. Rotating in eight volunteers daily, Denson says their work has more than expanded from when she joined the fight over 10 years ago. Now the brigade delivers food to over 50 pantries sprinkled across Eugene and Springfield.
Recalling a memory from when she just enlisted with Burrito Brigade, Denson says, “I handed a woman a burrito that had survived breast cancer and had lost her house because of medical bills. And I was just like this is something I want to be a part of.” — Bentley Freeman