2022 YEAR-END REPORT
What we’ve accomplished together against our commitment to creating a more sustainable and equitable food system.
Over the year, the surging inflation rate has been heavily affecting everyone across the Rethink Food network:
Restaurants and food establishments, that are still recovering from the pandemic
Community-based organizations, that see rising demand for meals
Underserved communities, who were already struggling to put food on the table
+13%
increase in food prices alone this year—the highest in over 40 years
x2
the use of food pantries between 2021 and 2022 in New York City—where food insecurity outpaced the rest of the country
As the end of the year is approaching, we wanted to provide you with highlights of our work and the impact and progress we’ve made in 2022 against our commitment to creating a more sustainable and equitable food system.
In the current and challenging time, our organization has continued to build practical, innovative solutions that empower community-minded partners across the food ecosystem to reduce food waste, and more consistently provide healthy, culturally celebrated meals for their neighbors.
OUR IMPACT IN 2022
Building a more equitable food system
$10.6M
directed in local restaurants and small businesses
70
restaurant and food establishment partners–over 80% of which are women- or minority-owned
85+
community partners that serve restaurants meals tailored to community needs
2.7M
nutritious and culturally-celebrated meals served
6
cities of operation: New York City, San Francisco, Nashville, Chicago, Washington D.C, and Miami
Building a more sustainable food system
500K
pounds of food diverted from landfills and converted into meals
340K
meals prepared by Rethink Food and delivered to 12 local community partners 6 days a week, at no cost
11.5M*
gallons of fresh water saved
1.25M*
pounds of carbon dioxide saved**
5 YEARS OF IMPACT
Since its founding in 2017, Rethink Food has directed 35.5 million dollars to 125+ local restaurants and food establishments, provided 9+ million meals to vulnerable communities through 230+ community-based organizations and used 1.5 million pounds of excess food—saving 3.75 million lbs of CO2 and 41.4 million gallons of fresh H20.
*Based on 1lb of excess food = 2.5 lbs of CO2 and 23 gallons of fresh water | **This does not include the CO2 emissions from our program.
GROWING PRACTICAL AND TRANSFORMATIVE PROGRAMS
This year, we’ve continued to develop partnerships with restaurants, small businesses, and partners across the food ecosystem to grow innovative solutions where meals are sustainably and consistently going to communities of greatest need.
Chef Jenner Tomaska’s Esme Chicago has become Rethink Certified by incorporating fundraising for meals into its operations and has joined a group of renowned chefs across the country—including Michael Schwartz, Dominique Crenn, Sean Brock, and Daniel Humm. Together in 2022, they have raised over $630,000 to support the production of over 130,000 meals prepared by small local restaurants and businesses.
Rethink Certified: Building a more scalable model through restaurant fundraising
Rethink Food Commissary Kitchen: Our in-house sustainability hub
In addition to preparing ~8,500 weekly meals, our team has launched a new program that converts donated excess food like fruits and vegetables into jams, purees, sauces, and soups that nonprofits can order online for free to stock community pantries or utilize in meal preparation. This year, the program has generated:
16,000
quarts of product for distribution to our CBO partners, for free
18,000+
products ordered by CBO partners, worth ~$300,000 market value
We also expanded our sustainability services and launched two strategic partnerships with Brookfield Properties and RTS where their excess food donations are converted into nutritious meals at our Commissary Kitchen and served across New York City.
Pilots and new initiatives to create a lasting impact
At Rethink Food, we are always looking to expand our reach and unlock new funding sources to support local restaurants, small businesses, and community partners:
Provided 35,000+ ready-to-eat meals for asylum seekers arriving in New York City in collaboration with local restaurants and nonprofits
Working with the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to apply the Rethink Certified model to the pilot phase of the New York State’s SNAP Restaurant Meals Program.
Slated to run in 2023, the program will enable eligible populations to utilize their SNAP benefits to purchase hot meals at selected restaurants and establishments identified by Rethink Food
Recently completed a ten-week pilot program with the Yemeni American Merchants Association (YAMA) to provide free, dignified meals through several bodegas in Harlem and the Bronx
“If there was one part of the pandemic that made me feel good, it is how this community came together for each other. Rethink played an incredible role—can you imagine a food organization that didn't just ask something of us but could help to save us at the same time? We had the opportunity to bring people who otherwise would have been laid off, bring them into kitchens to cook food for people who needed food, and it was just a brilliant formula. One by one, you saw people like you and restaurants all across the city saying ‘that makes sense”
– Danny Meyer, Union Square Hospitality Group
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN GOVERNMENT FOR A BETTER FOOD SYSTEM
Government support and funding are critical to addressing our communities’ growing needs and enacting a lasting difference in food security. This year, we have been actively leveraging our platforms and solidifying relationships with NYC Council members, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and at the federal level, through the main following initiatives:
On September 28, Rethink Food attended the second White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. The first and original conference, which took place more than 50 years ago, was the launching point for many federal hunger and nutrition programs that we see today, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
As part of our participation, we made a bold commitment in conjunction with the CDC Foundation over the next 5 years to contribute to lasting change in the food system. Read more about our commitment and full report of recommendations here.
We organized a roundtable discussion at restaurant partner Manna's in Harlem with US Representative Jim McGovern, and stakeholders across the food, government, non-profit, and higher education space, to discuss the impact of our programs and how the government can look to other innovative solutions to address our country’s challenges.
Rethink Food partnered with City Harvest for the 2021-2022 New York State Restaurant Resiliency Program administered by the Department of Agriculture, which allocated 25 million dollars to the New York State food banks. City Harvest received 1 million dollars in partnership with Rethink Food to allocate to restaurants. Together, we provided ~50,000 meals from 19 restaurants—67% of which were minority- and women-owned—and partnered with 9 emergency food providers to serve four boroughs.
ENGAGING INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES AROUND OUR MISSION
This year, we’re proud and humbled to have brought together a growing community of like-minded partners and individuals who contribute to our work in many ways.
Volunteering for a better food system
Rethink Food now offers year-round availability and special opportunities for individuals and groups to volunteer in our activities—from making meals at our Commissary Kitchen to packing and distributing meals to local neighbors with our community partners. Click here to learn more and get involved.
We also launched the Rethink Network, a group for professionals in the first 15 years of their careers that come from all industries and are interested in helping to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. To learn more and get involved, click here.
Educating and cultivating the young generation
Rethink Food started working with hundreds of NYC students on virtual and in-person projects to get the next generation excited about how they can create a better food future. Our programs have included educational content on reducing food waste, preparing a business plan for a restaurant that provides free meals to food-insecure neighbors, and creating holiday cards.
Speaking opportunities and special engagements
For the first time this November, Rethink Food was a proud charity partner of the 2022 New York City Marathon. Our five-person marathon team ran to provide 5,000 meals to our communities.
As an emerging thought leader in food insecurity, environmental sustainability, and restaurant partnerships, Rethink Food’s staff and our partners have also participated in a growing number of forums, panels, and conferences throughout the year— including McKinsey & Co.’s Next Generation Farm to Table, Aspen Ideas, and Fast Company Innovations Festival in partnership with Brookfield Properties.
DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
While the holiday is a time to share good food with the people we love, hunger continues to affect the communities around us.
This holiday season, Rethink Food has a goal of providing 300,000 meals to communities facing food insecurity.
From now until December 31st, your donation will be matched* dollar-for-dollar by Athletic Brewing—meaning you are providing twice the number of meals to your local community.
*Up to $10,000