Rapid Response

Through contracts with governments and nonprofits, we engage small, local businesses to create nutritious meals for neighbors impacted by food insecurity.

Our contract work impact

90,200,000+      

directed to small local businesses

17,900,000+       

meals made

What we do

We partner with governments and nonprofits to engage small, local businesses to help create nutritious meals and deliver any excess to our neighbors impacted by food insecurity.

We believe in providing a duty of care when addressing food insecurity. Our model effectively engages local businesses, particularly small, minority, and women-led establishments, leveraging their infrastructure to produce high-quality meals for communities in need.

How it works

We partner with Rethink Food’s proven network of restaurant partners, who already provide meals to community organizations in their neighborhoods and have longstanding emergency response experience.

We support meal delivery and quality control by working with partners that make high-quality meals and engaging minority-and women-led businesses. We also meet the city’s contracting requirement that all meals be halal.

We collect excess meals as needed to avoid food waste and redistribute them through our network of community-based organizations providing free meals to their communities.

We track and report impact.

Free Medically Tailored Meals and Grocery Boxes delivered to your door

LEARN MORE

Because food is more than nourishment—it’s healthcare. Rethink Food now offers Medically Tailored Meals and Grocery Boxes, crafted by dietitians and chefs to support specific medical and nutritional needs, at no cost to eligible Medicaid members through New York State’s Medicaid 1115 Waiver.

What being Rapid Response means:

  • Join a robust and diverse network of predominantly minority and women-owned businesses that all adhere to food safety and handling standards.

  • Employ Food Rescue program to send meals back into the community and minimize waste.

    Collaborative fundraising opportunities to raise awareness and funds for mission-aligned partnerships.

    Comprehensive data tracking and management to determine appropriate meal counts, manage inventory and leftover meals, and handle payment logistics

  • Utilize Rethink Food resources for sustainable sourcing and local procurement.

    Access to Group Purchasing and Donations programs to drive meal-making costs down.

    24/7 on-call contact with rapid response times.

  • Community assessment aids in restaurant selection to provide culturally relevant meals.

  • Rethink will support partners to obtain the preferred MWBE & Halal certifications.

OUR RESTAURANT PARTNERS

Our work is made possible due to the mission-oriented restaurants and food businesses that believe in building a better food system.

  • Al Badawi

    New York, Brooklyn
    Middle Eastern

  • Beatstro

    Bronx, NY
    New American

    Learn more

  • Brain Food

    Brooklyn, NY
    Healthy

    learn more

  • Chefscape

    Manhattan
    Catering 

    learn more

  • Collective Fare

    Brooklyn, NY
    Catering

    Learn more

  • Gyro King

    New York, Brooklyn
    Halal Mediterranean

  • IV Purpose

    Brooklyn, NY
    Caribbean-American Comfort Food

  • Marlow Bistro

    New York, NY
    Mediterranean

    Learn More

  • Rethink Food Sustainable Community Kitchen

    Global / Seasonal

    Click Here

Testimonials

  • "Our participation in this program is more than just providing food—it's about creating a sense of home and belonging for those who have endured so much.”

    LaToya & Rodney Frazer
    Collective Fare

  • “At Beatstro, we take pride in the fact that our parents migrated to this country at some point to find a better life for our family. Being able to contribute to helping feed those who are now seeking to do the same is a blessing to us.”

    Junior Martinez
    Beatstro

  • "Working with Rethink has allowed us to provide thousands of meals to those in need and create job opportunities for over a hundred hardworking and deserving individuals."

    Lorena Rivera
    ChefScape

  • "As partners in redefining food access, we are reminded that food unites us in generosity and shared humanity, shaping a community where everyone is nourished and valued”

    Elena Ristovski
    Marlow Bistro

  • “As a child of 1980s migrants, I saw my father struggle to provide for our family of ten. Helping to feed those in need honors his perseverance and gives back to the community that welcomed us.”

    Abdul Elenani
    Albadawi Inc.