Few organizations understand the power of nutritious cuisine better than Rethink Food. In a move to create a more sustainable and equitable food system, the New York City-based nonprofit announced the launch of Rethink Services. This nonprofit organization aims to support small local businesses owned by women and minorities through government contracting while simultaneously addressing food scarcity in communities across New York City.
Unveiled on June 13, 2024, the organization brings together a network of like-minded, small local businesses committed to creating nutritious meals for communities at government-funded sites across the city, all while utilizing food excess and supporting community development. This simultaneously addresses food waste while bolstering community growth.
This commitment was recently showcased at a taste-testing event that brought together Rethink Services partners, including Marlow Bistro, Brain Food, IV Purpose, Collective Fare, and Al Badawi.
“We firmly believe in the effectiveness of engaging local restaurants and food businesses and utilizing their infrastructure to deliver high-quality meals to communities in need while concurrently continuing to support the small business community,” Rethink Food CEO Matt Jozwiak stated in a press release.
How Matt Jozwiak Developed a Model of Efficiency and Impact
Rethink Services builds upon the success of Rethink Food’s previous initiatives, notably the Rethink Certified program that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since April 2020, Rethink Certified has delivered over 10 million meals and directed more than $45 million to small local businesses, demonstrating the effectiveness of engaging local restaurants and food businesses in addressing food insecurity.
Rethink Services has already made a significant impact. Working with over a dozen small local restaurants and food businesses — all owned by women, people of color, and ethnic minorities — as well as government agencies and nonprofit providers, it has delivered 14.7 million meals to 33 city shelters and channeled more than $75 million to small local restaurants and food businesses.
This impressive achievement showcases its ability to effectively engage local businesses while utilizing its infrastructure to provide nutritious, culturally relevant community meals.
“Together, we’re creating a better food future: servin g high-quality, culturally relevant meals to our neighbors, all while utilizing excess food and supporting community development. This work and impact are made possible by the leadership of @nycmayor Eric Adams and his administration’s focus on equitable food procurement,” Rethink Food posted on its Instagram.
“We are honored to work with the local government,” said Jozwiak, “and we are optimistic that we will continue scaling this impact across all five boroughs of New York City and beyond.”
From Culinary Excellence to Cultural Relevance
The recent taste-testing event, which took place at Rethink Food’s Sustainable Community Kitchen, demonstrated the culinary expertise and creativity of the participating restaurants. It also highlighted its mission to provide not just meals, but experiences that respect and celebrate the diverse cultures of New York City’s communities.
“We are immensely grateful to everyone who joined us yesterday for the taste-testing event with @nycfood, celebrating the power of food and unity to feed New Yorkers as we unveil our new government-contracting program, Rethink Services,” Rethink Food shared on its Instagram.
Since its founding in 2017, Rethink Food has made a substantial dent in improving the hunger crisis by providing over 26 million meals to local communities in need. It has directed over $111 million to small local restaurants and businesses and repurposed over 2.5 million pounds of excess food.
The organization’s track record, combined with the promising start of Rethink Services, suggests a bright future for this innovative approach to food security and community support.
The Direct Difference of Rethink Services
To truly understand the power of Rethink Services, it’s perhaps best to discover its secret ingredients for success — the restaurant owners and chefs collaborating with it. “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,” said Junior Martinez, a partner at the destination eatery in the Bronx. “Being able to contribute to helping feed those who are now seeking to do the same is a blessing to us.”
Elena Ristovski of Mediterranean restaurant Marlow Bistro said she also appreciates working with Rethink Services. “As partners redefining food access, we are reminded that food unites us in generosity and shared humanity, shaping a community where everyone is nourished and valued.”
Chefscape’s Lorena Rivera said teaming up with Rethink Services has given employment a boost. “[It] has allowed us to provide thousands of meals to those in need and create job opportunities for over a hundred hardworking and deserving individuals.”
How To Get Involved With Rethink Services and Rethink Food
Rethink Services is always on the lookout to raise awareness for food rescue while seeking vision-aligned partners to build a more efficient food system. Not only is it providing meals to deserving communities, but it’s also collecting excess food to avoid waste.
For those interested in learning more about nonprofits Rethink Services and Rethink Food, information is available on the organizations’ websites at rethinkservices.org and rethinkfood.org.
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