Rethink Food

Rethink Food Rethink Food is a nonprofit organization on a mission to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. Together, we can rethink food.

Rethink is a not-for-profit that envisions a nourished and thriving world. Our mission is simple: to create a more equitable food system. As 42 million Americans suffer from food insecurity, we believe that access to food is essential to human dignity and our ability to contribute to society. We create practical options to access healthy meals. Our current initiatives include Rethink Certified whe

re we empower restaurants to feed their communities in need using surplus, donated or purchased food, and Rethink Café, our donation-based café where anyone and everyone can come and enjoy a fresh, nutritious meal. Through our programs, we've partnered with over 50 New York City restaurants & dining establishments and nearly 2 million fresh meals have already been served through 75+ community organizations. To learn more about how to become a community-based partner or restaurant, visit us at Rethinkfood.org.

We’re honored to share that Rethink Food’s short film Neighbors Helping Neighbors, featuring our longstanding partner at...
05/06/2026

We’re honored to share that Rethink Food’s short film Neighbors Helping Neighbors, featuring our longstanding partner at North Brooklyn Angels, has been nominated for a 2026 James Beard Media Award in the Commercial Media category.

The film spotlights the extraordinary work of North Brooklyn Angels, an organization rooted in a simple and powerful idea: neighbors helping neighbors. Through their iconic blue truck and mobile meal service, their team meets people where they are, bringing food, care, dignity, and connection directly into the community.

This recognition is especially meaningful because it celebrates the kind of storytelling we believe in at Rethink Food: human-centered, community-rooted, and grounded in dignity.

Congratulations and deep gratitude to Kendra and Anjali from North Brooklyn Angels for the work they do every day, and to Nick Bouck, who brought the video to life with care and artistry.

Thank you to the James Beard Foundation for this recognition, and congratulations to all of this year’s nominees.

Watch the full film at youtube.com/watch?v=XHgGmLqFgAc.

Attention all community members: new SNAP work requirements are in effect, and if you haven’t started meeting them, your...
05/05/2026

Attention all community members: new SNAP work requirements are in effect, and if you haven’t started meeting them, your benefits could stop as soon as June 1, 2026.

Since March, some New Yorkers receiving SNAP have been required to work, volunteer, or attend training and report their hours to keep their benefits. These rules apply to you if all three of the following are true:

1. You are between 18 and 64 years old
2. You do not live with a child under 14
3. You do not have a medical exemption from working

To see if you have to adhere to the new work requirements, you can either go to your ACCESS HRA account at nyc.gov/accesshra and look for an “Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents” (ABAWD) notice, or call 718-SNAP-NOW (718-762-7669). Don’t wait to check.

If you need help meeting the work requirements through volunteer or community service hours, a fellow food access group - West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH) - is an approved provider. Sign up on their site at https://www.wscah.org/get-involved/volunteer.

05/01/2026

Feeding 450 New Yorkers in need beef bolognese, pasta with homemade oregano oil, and carrots & cabbage with a sunflower pistou - all in one day.

Part of our continuing film series documents our sustainable community kitchen as they produce thousands of restaurant quality, nutrient dense, delicious meals for our communities in need. If you want to help support our efforts, donate at the link in our bio.

04/17/2026

Feeding over 1800 New Yorkers in need with a marinated salmon, curry potatoes and some ginger, garlic cabbage all in one day.

Part of our continuing film series documenting our sustainable community kitchen as they produce thousands of restaurant quality, nutrient dense, delicious meals for our communities in need. To help or join our efforts sign up to volunteer or donate to our sutainable community kitchen at the link in our bio.

Last night Rethink Food held our annual gala at Eleven Madison Park, and we are incredibly proud to share that we raised...
04/16/2026

Last night Rethink Food held our annual gala at Eleven Madison Park, and we are incredibly proud to share that we raised over $1.3M to fuel our mission! Nothing we do could happen without the support of our incredibly dedicated network.

We want to say a massive thank you to our Co-Founder Chef Daniel Humm and his Eleven Madison Park team for graciously hosting us and providing such beautiful food. We were honored that Speaker of the NYC Council, Julie Menin, joined us and committed to providing continued support for our work, as well as Guest of Honor, Martha Stewart, for showing up to support our cause. To Father Mike and your Monkworx team, thank you for always bringing the voice of our community to the forefront and helping us make this mission happen. It was also our privilege to present “Heart of Rethink” awards to Leo Kirby, Luna Droubi, and Matt’s dear friend and thought partner, Corby Ku**er. Corby has donated so much of his time and wisdom to Rethink Food’s vision, and we are deeply grateful for everything he has done to help build and sustain this organization.

To our amazing board for filling the room, band for the great music, staff for working tirelessly behind the scenes, restaurant and CBO partners for helping us rethink how we feed our cities, elected officials for sharing their support, and every single donor for helping us make our mission a reality: thank you.

Rethink Food spent Q1 fighting for our Chef-to-Community tax credit, partnering with elected officials to provide emerge...
04/16/2026

Rethink Food spent Q1 fighting for our Chef-to-Community tax credit, partnering with elected officials to provide emergency meals, and showing up at community celebrations to ensure no New Yorker is left behind.

We kicked off the quarter at the State Capitol for our Tax Credit Lobby Day, advocating for legislation that would provide restaurants with up to $10,000 to offset the costs of preparing and donating meals to local communities. This momentum carried into our press conference at Salem United Methodist Church, where we shared our vision for the credit with our legislative champions, community leaders, restaurant and CBO partners, and members of the public who came out to support. Our vision for this tax credit is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: New York City’s restaurants are an extraordinary resource, and by supporting the chefs already feeding our city, we can extend that reach to the neighbors who need it most.

When winter storms hit in late February, our advocacy turned into immediate action. We activated Code Blue emergency meal deliveries to NYCHA developments, working closely with elected officials from each borough to ultimately deliver over 1,600 hot meals.

In March, we focused on the power of cultural and faith-based community support. We were proud to join AM and Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani in celebrating the 6-year anniversary of ’s COVID-19 response - a vital partnership that has provided millions of meals to New Yorkers since 2020. During Ramadan, we had the honor of attending and providing meals for Iftars organized by Black Muslims Now, the , and , and closed it out by joining ’s 5th Annual Eid Celebration in Harlem and .bx & Bridging Africa & Black America Inc’s Eid event in the South Bronx. For Passover, we were also able to provide over 2,100 meals across Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan with . Spring celebrations continued with the ’s Easter Eggstravaganza and Monkworx’s Easter food pantry.

Thank you to all the community leaders, restaurant partners, and elected officials who stand with us as we rethink how we feed our city.

04/06/2026

We produced over 2000 meals for New Yorkers in need. Fragrant Chinese five-spice chicken served alongside pearled couscous and broccoli - thanks to donations from Bo Bo Poultry Market.

We are committed to providing communities in need with restaurant-quality, nutrient dense, delicious meals, every day. To support our efforts, donate at the link in bio.

03/30/2026

We are so proud to have celebrated our third annual Rethink Food Day this past Friday!

This day was officially declared by New York City to honor 10 million meals given to New Yorkers, but since then it has really become a celebration of the strength found in our community. Rethink Food has been able to provide over 34 million nutrient-dense, culturally celebrated meals to date - a feat only possible thanks to our dedicated network of restaurant and community partners. They are the heart of this work, and their connections to every corner of the five boroughs allow us to meet our neighbors where they are.

A special thank you to the partners who brought this year’s celebration to life: Chef and his team, , and for the exceptional food, for being such gracious hosts and providing the drinks, .ny for keeping the energy high with their music, as well as Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and President and CEO Cassaundra Howell for sharing such kind and inspiring words.

We also want to recognize our Rethink Food team. Your passion and tireless work behind the scenes are what transform an ambitious vision into a daily reality for thousands of New Yorkers.

We are proud of how far we’ve come and even more inspired by what’s next. Join us in building a more sustainable and equitable food system by supporting our mission at the link in our bio.

🎥
📷

03/24/2026

We produced 360 meals for New Yorkers in need. Hearty chili, buttered potatoes, and roasted beets & radishes tossed with chili oil - thanks to donations from and

Part of our continuing film series documenting our Sustainable Community Kitchen as they produce thousands of restaurant quality, nutrient dense, delicious meals for our communities in need, every day. To join our efforts, sign up to volunteer or donate to our Sustainable Community Kitchen’s efforts at the link in our bio.

03/23/2026

Our partnership with Chef Daniel Humm and Eleven Madison Park proves that regardless of a restaurant’s caliber, every kitchen can find a way to give back to its community.

What began in the earliest days of the pandemic with Eleven Madison Park as a meal maker - transforming one of the world’s most renowned fine-dining institutions into a community kitchen that prepared hundreds of thousands of high-quality meals for neighbors in need - has evolved into a multifaceted partnership. From fundraising and donating resources to hosting collaborative events, Chef Humm and his team help fuel and spread our mission to build a more sustainable and equitable food system for all New Yorkers every day.

Now, what better way to celebrate this partnership - and the over 34 million meals we’ve provided to New Yorkers in need since our founding - than by joining us at WSA this Friday for our annual Rethink Food Day celebration!

Experience incredible bites prepared by Eleven Madison Park - alongside our other restaurant partners Zaab Zaab and Marlow Bistro - as they bring the same world-class culinary excellence directly to your plate.

Grab your tickets at the link in bio! If you can’t join us in person this time, you can always support our efforts by donating, volunteering, or becoming a partner on our website!

🎥🎬:

Address

116 W Houston Street
New York, NY
10012

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+12123647040

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Rethink Food posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Rethink Food:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category