MIDDLEBURY — Aqua ViTea, a Middlebury  company that is largest producer of kombucha on the East Coast, has donated 480 bottles of the brand’s handcrafted hand sanitizer to the state’s largest hunger relief organization, the Vermont Foodbank.
When the pandemic first hit in March, Aqua ViTea founder Jeff Weaber and his team leveraged the brand’s supply of excess alcohol that gets extracted from their kombucha, and partnered with local companies — including Citizen Cider, Farrell Distributing, and Caledonia Spirits — to create hand sanitizer and surface cleaner for frontline workers in Vermont. 
Food insecurity has increased dramatically as a result of the pandemic, and the Vermont Foodbank and its network have been on the front lines, working to ensure that low-income households receive sustenance during this challenging time. Vermont Foodbank donated 14.3 million pounds of food to community members statewide between March and September, which is more than double what was distributed during the same time last year.
Aqua ViTea is continuing to lend a helping hand by donating its hand sanitizer to keep the food bank’s staff and community members safe.
“Aqua ViTea’s donation of hand sanitizer helps to ensure the health and safety of our staff and in turn our communities,” Vermont Foodbank CEO John Sayles said. “This is critical as we continue to serve those facing hunger during the pandemic in a way that keeps us all safe.”