Chick-fil-A has been giving away surplus food to feed hungry New Yorkers for nearly a decade, and the chain’s partners say the arrangement is changing what it means to receive help. Since 2018, Chick-fil-A has donated more than 58,000 meals to The Bowery Mission, one of the oldest rescue missions in the United States, through its Shared Table program.
The Bowery Mission, founded in 1879 in New York City, serves hot meals, showers, shelter, clothing, and medical care to homeless and hungry individuals in the New York metropolitan area. In 2018, it became a partner for Chick-fil-A’s Shared Table program, which asks restaurants to donate surplus food weekly to nonprofit organizations to help address the hunger crisis in the United States.
A Decade of Donations
The partnership has grown steadily since Chick-fil-A entered the New York City market about 10 years ago. About 10 owner/operators in the market have volunteered and trained with The Bowery Mission since then, and the organization’s Chief Development Officer Karl Chan expects the partnership to keep growing as the chain’s footprint in the city expands.
Chan described the arrangement as a practical way to address a fundamental problem. “How can you plan for tomorrow if you don’t know where your next meal is coming from today? You’re in crisis right now,” he said. “Chick-fil-A helps us meet that need.”
The donation stream includes items that most food pantries rarely see. Most surplus donations to food pantries and similar organizations are dry food items or canned goods, Chan noted. Chick-fil-A’s restaurants provide surplus protein like chicken strips and nuggets instead.
Dignity Through Choice
That difference changes how recipients experience the service, according to Chan. “It’s training new pathways of muscle memory of what you believe and have always been told,” he said. “When you are struggling and can’t make ends meet, you generally take what you’re given, so you have no choice.”
“In this instance (with protein), they have a choice in the matter. They’re actively participating in asking for what they want and how. It’s not just a transaction anymore.”
He added that the partnership allows The Bowery Mission to serve meals that don’t discriminate between people. “Chick-fil-A allows us to serve meals that don’t discriminate between us and them.”
A Model for Other Chains
Chan hopes the partnership will inspire other organizations to rethink their own surplus. “Sometimes we feel that we don’t have opportunities to address situations because we’re stretched so tight and we don’t have margins,” he said. “If we realize that within our (constraints) we could be a still be a resource to others, we can shift the narrative.”
The model is simple enough to replicate. Restaurants identify surplus food, partner with a local organization, and arrange regular deliveries.
| Partner | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Chick-fil-A restaurants | Donate surplus protein like chicken strips and nuggets |
| The Bowery Mission | Receives and distributes meals to homeless and hungry individuals in the New York metropolitan area |
What the Donation Means
The donation of more than 58,000 meals since 2018 represents a sustained effort from a chain that has spent years building a system around it. The program has been operating for nearly a decade, with owner/operators volunteering and training with The Bowery Mission over that period.
Chan’s framing of the partnership as a way to shift the narrative about surplus suggests the arrangement has broader ambitions beyond the immediate meals. He wants other organizations to see that even small resources can be put to use.
The Bowery Mission’s work has not stopped at feeding. Its services include shelter, clothing, and medical care, alongside the hot meals it distributes. The partnership with Chick-fil-A has added a steady source of protein to that menu.
The partnership shows what happens when a chain’s surplus becomes another organization’s resource. The meals move from restaurant shelves to dinner tables, and the people receiving them get a choice about what they eat rather than simply taking what’s offered.
Source material: “How Chick-fil-A is helping one organization address food insecurity,” Nation's Restaurant News.
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