Rethink Food facts for kids
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| Founded | 2017 |
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| Type | non-profit organization |
| Focus | food insecurity, food excess, and economic development |
| Headquarters | New York City |
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Region
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United States; currently active in five cities, including Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, and Nashville |
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CEO and founder
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Matt Jozwiak |
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Key people
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Daniel Humm (co-founder) |
Rethink Food is a non-profit group based in New York City. It was started to help people who don't have enough food in the United States. Rethink Food also works to create a food system that is fair and good for the planet.
The organization collects extra food from restaurants, grocery stores, and big kitchens. They use this food to make healthy meals for people who need them. These meals are given out for free or at a very low cost. In March 2020, Rethink Food grew its efforts to help more people during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
Contents
Who Leads Rethink Food?
Meet the Founder: Matt Jozwiak
Rethink Food was started by Matt Jozwiak. He began his cooking journey washing dishes in Kansas. Later, he trained with famous chefs in France. Matt worked in top restaurants, including Noma in Copenhagen. He also worked at Eleven Madison in New York.
Today, Matt Jozwiak is the CEO of Rethink Food. He has been recognized for his work in food and helping others. He is seen as a leader who pushes for fairness in the food world.
Daniel Humm Joins the Team
In April 2020, Daniel Humm became Rethink's head chef. He also joined the founding board. Daniel Humm is a well-known chef.
How Rethink Food Started and Grew
Early Days and Growth
Rethink Food began in 2017. For its first few years, the group made up to 10,000 meals each week. They worked closely with the Food Bank For New York City. This helped them send meals to missions in the area. In 2019, Rethink Food was named a "Top-Rated Nonprofit."
Helping During the Pandemic
In March 2020, Rethink Food changed how it worked. This was to help with the growing need during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Rethink started helping people all across the country.
In April 2020, Rethink teamed up with Eleven Madison Park. This is a very famous restaurant. They also partnered with American Express. They reopened the restaurant as a kitchen to make 3,000 meals every day. These meals went to New York residents and healthcare workers. Free meals were delivered to people helped by Citymeals-on-Wheels. They also went to hospital workers.
Rethink Food quickly grew its efforts. They started feeding as many as 10,000 people every two days. This meant about 35,000 meals each week. The group also started a food truck program. This delivered 5,000 free meals daily to hospital workers. Rethink worked with local kitchens to make the meals. They gave out food at 20 medical places using 10 food trucks.
Supporting Restaurants and Communities
Rethink Food started a Restaurant Response Program. This program gave grants of up to $40,000 to 30 New York restaurants. The restaurants made and gave out meals to communities in need. They also helped essential workers. This program helped restaurants pay their rent and staff. Between April and October 2020, the program invested $10 million in local restaurants. It provided over two million meals.
Rethink also launched the Chinatown/LES Food Initiative in April 2020. This helped make and give out meals to people in Chinatown. Many people there were greatly affected by COVID-19. Volunteers went door-to-door to give meals to older people. Local Asian restaurants helped cook the food.
In 2020, Rethink opened its first donation-based cafe, Rethink Café. It is in Brooklyn. This cafe is like a soup kitchen run by professional chefs. It offers healthy meals for a suggested donation.
In November 2021, Rethink started working in Miami. They gave money to two restaurants in Little Haiti. These restaurants made about 1,000 meals each week. They gave them to local groups like Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center.
Working Together: Rethink Food's Partnerships
Brookfield Properties and Union Square Hospitality Group
In July 2020, Rethink Food announced a big partnership. They teamed up with Brookfield Properties and Union Square Hospitality Group. Their goal was to make meals for families in New York City who needed food. This partnership also aimed to help restaurant workers get back to their jobs. They planned to give out 125,000 meals in the South Bronx.
Full Circle Brands
In November 2021, a company called Full Circle Brands launched a new brand called For Good. This brand sells eco-friendly household items. For Good partners with Rethink Food. One percent of every purchase goes to Rethink Food. This helps create a fair and sustainable food system.
Gorillas
Gorillas, a grocery delivery company, started its US operations in New York City in 2021. They partnered with Rethink Food. Rethink collects extra food from Gorillas' warehouses. This food is then turned into healthy meals at Rethink's kitchen. These meals are given out through community groups.
Hu
Since 2020, Rethink Food has worked with Hu. Hu makes vegan chocolate and snack products. This partnership helps Rethink's mission. When people buy certain Hu products, a donation is made to Rethink. Hu also donates its chocolates to be given out to communities.
Kvarøy Arctic
In 2021, Kvarøy Arctic, a family-owned salmon farming company, started working with Rethink Food. They are the first large seafood donation partner for Rethink. Kvarøy Arctic donates 1,500-2,000 pounds of salmon every month. Rethink's kitchen uses this salmon to make about 8,000 community meals each week.
Ghetto Gastro
In May 2020, Rethink Food partnered with Ghetto Gastro. This is a cooking group from the Bronx. They provided free meals to people in the Bronx. This included low-income families and older residents. The Bronx was greatly affected by the pandemic. The groups gave tens of thousands of meals to Bronx residents. They also gave meals to protesters in New York City.
Ghetto Gastro also made special shirts with an artist. These shirts helped raise money for Rethink Food. They also brought attention to unfairness and lack of food in the United States.
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