Non-Profit ‘Rethink Food’ Brings Free Lunch for Hospital Workers

Tags: Currents Brooklyn, NY, Coronavirus, Food, Health, Health Care, Inspiration, Media, New York, New York City, New York News, Queens, NY

By Jessica Easthope

The heroes at Brooklyn’s Wyckoff Heights Medical Center are getting some much needed relief.

For the first time, on April 14 a truck parked outside the hospital at lunchtime and brought delicious meals to workers.

The group behind the effort is “Rethink Food,” and its co-founder, Winston Chiu.

Rethink Food is a non-profit that takes excess food from restaurants and makes it into meals to give away. Winston said the coronavirus pandemic was ReThink Food’s call to action. 

“We understand that everybody’s in need,” he explained, “particularly our frontline as they’re working long hours. We’re creating meals, and we asked how can we get some of these meals allocated to relief people such as hospitals.”

Rethink Food is a nonprofit that takes excess food from restaurants and makes it into meals to give away. Winston saw the coronavirus pandemic as ReThink Food’s call to action. 

“We’re very thankful we have the skillset to create a meal that nourishes the body, and although we’re not doctors, they are fighting on the frontline,” he said. “So just to be able to do what we do and love best and extend it to those who are helping us fight the battle is building a tighter knit community and supporting each other.” 

Until the crisis is over, ReThink Food will be deploying food trucks to hospitals across New York City, and it’s not food you’d find in a hospital cafeteria. 

“We’re doing beyond burgers, they voiced they wanted something vegetarian but initially we were going to give them food from 11 Madison Park which was sofrito chicken, cumin rice and sautéed veggies,” Winston said.

Though food is Rethink’s specialty, it’s filling another void as well.  

“My friend reached out and said hey my sister has no mask, no gloves, so we were able to get them gloves and masks and extended our services,” said Winston

The group is supplying bags with self care products, masks, gloves and socks donated from Bombas.  

Next week, Rethink Food’s trucks will be setting up shop at Kings County Hospital and SUNY Downstate Medical Center, dishing out some delicious food with a side of positivity.