Giving Back

Stories behind the food we love.
arnold byun

Connecting the Asian American Community Through Food

By Stacy Brooks

You never know the power of food until you start sharing, and of course, serving it. With Warm Welcome educates people about Asian American chefs, restaurateurs and bakers.

freedom a la cart staff

Freedom a la Cart Serves Up So Much More Than Meals

By AnnMarie Mattila

A cafe in Columbus, Ohio, known for its blueberry chia bowl and avocado toast, is also known for helping survivors of human trafficking.

lisa costa

All You Need Is Peace, Love & Dough

By Mia Salas

For Queens, New York-based Lisa Costa, baking is not only a passion, but the means to a social justice movement.

w Shannon Ronan and Breelyn MacDonald with jerky

This Woman-Owned Business is Making Beef Jerky with Love and Pride

By Nicolette Degrassi

What started as a hobby turned into a business. Meet the “two chicks” behind California-based Two Chicks Beef Jerky.

john carruthers eating pizza

A Q & A with John Carruthers: Pop-Up Pizza for Charity

By Victoria Pardo

Food writer John Carruthers wanted to do something useful during the pandemic. So he started making pizza in his kitchen, posting photos on Instagram, delivering pies to strangers in alleys and raising money for local non-profits.

AFC cofounders (l-r) Princess Haley, Michelle Horovitz, Tasha Powell

A Taste for Change in Minneapolis

By Stacy Brooks

What do you get when three people form an organization that offers healthy food opportunities in an underserved Minneapolis community? Change for the good of everyone!

zestbox family

A Personal Chef Battled Cancer: Now She’s Teaching Others About Clean Eating

By Laura Henty

After two separate bouts of cancer in her family, this mother of two launched a business to help other families thrive, with an assist from some very healthy food.

Sean Smith and Brayden LeBlanc-Jackson with cotton candy

The Puffs are Taking Cotton Candy to New Heights, Literally

By Kate Eplboim

LA residents Sean Smith and Brayden LeBlanc-Jackson left their corporate jobs with the mission of doing something where they could be “as queer and colorful and ridiculous” as they wanted to be. The result is The Puffs, their cotton candy company that specializes in “huge ridiculous shapes.”

DNP Team 2 L to R Kurt, Muhammad, Mike

Filling a Void in North Philly with Pizza and Opportunity

By AnnMarie Mattila

Two entrepreneurs start a pizzeria that exclusively employs formerly incarcerated people as a way to give them a chance while also feeding an underserved community.