Rethink Food is an NYC-based nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing food insecurity using rescued/excess donated foods. By partnering with food donors that have an excess of products that would otherwise go to waste, we reduce the amount of good food ending up in landfills while creating delicious, dignified meals for our local communities. Rethink meals are delivered to a diverse network of community-based organization partners at no cost - from there, those meals are distributed to individuals and families who need them. An additional branch of our operation is the Rethink Cafe, a donation-based eatery where our high-quality meals are available for a suggested price of $5, though no one is turned away for lack of funds.
My role at Rethink is to facilitate mutually-beneficial partnerships with food purveyors that are interested in donating ingredients to support our mission. We are always searching for new partnerships with purveyors of produce (fresh or frozen), starch, and proteins.
Our primary place of donation reception is at 180 Maiden Lane, but for certain large donations (1 pallet or more), we may send direct to our off-site storage facility located 12 Hall Street, Brooklyn, NY 11205 whose hours are 7am-3pm (M-F). Ideally 1 day notice is needed to schedule deliveries to this facilities.
We can arrange for pickup (depending on the donation's size and location). In the event of delivery, please call/text before coming.
ProducePedia
ProducePedia is a free resource that covers the types of fresh produce that can be delivered to food pantries. Each entry includes information on color, taste, and possible uses. People unfamiliar with the vegetable or fruit will learn how to use it, and those who are familiar with it still might learn a fun fact or two!
The Cooperative Extension sites have a wealth of information for any backyard gardener. Once you go to the site (each one if very different from the others) look for a link for “homes and gardens”, “landscape”, “consumer horticulture”, etc. to find information on improving your backyard garden. Neighboring state sites may offer information your own state’s site lacks.
