Giving Kitchen Named in Fast Company’s Second Annual List of “Brands That Matter”
Fast Company announced its second annual Brands That Matter list, honoring brands that communicate and demonstrate brand purpose. These companies and nonprofits have achieved relevance through cultural impact and social engagement, and authentically communicated their missions and ideals.
The final list, which includes large multinational conglomerates, small-but-mighty companies, and nonprofits, recognizes 144 brands that give people compelling reasons to care about them—and offer inspiration for others to buy in. All 144 have found an ability to forge an emotional connection with customers, whether leading on the environment or pop culture, engaging B2B customers, or responding meaningfully to current events.
All brands that applied were considered for overall recognition. Additionally, there are also honorees on category-specific lists based on region, size, and status.
“This year, we’ve expanded the Brands That Matter program to evaluate honorees in the context of how they matter within the category in which they compete for people’s attention or loyalty. The result is a wide-ranging list of honorees that are making their mark on culture, and through social impact,” said Brendan Vaughan, Fast Company’s editor-in-chief.
Giving Kitchen (GK) is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance to food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources. Founded in 2013 following the groundswell of support for local chef, Ryan Hidinger, after a terminal cancer diagnosis, GK began by serving Atlanta-area restaurant workers with emergency financial assistance. Today, GK helps food service workers nationwide who work in restaurants, catering, concessions, food trucks, cafeterias, and bars and taprooms. Financial assistance is awarded to food service workers facing an injury, illness, the death of a family member, or a housing disaster (such as a flood or fire), who are unable to work and thus unable to pay their living expenses during their crisis. In addition to financial assistance, GK’s Stability Network provides referrals to other organizations, providers, and resources that can help food service workers get through a tough time.
“The story of Giving Kitchen is the story of so many who have been faced with a crisis and overcome it,” says Jen Hidinger-Kendrick, Giving Kitchen Co-Founder and Senior Director of Community Engagement. “We help food service workers overcome that adversity and, like my late husband ,Ryan, it is their courage and perseverance that magnify our impact.”
To date, Giving Kitchen has served nearly 11,000 food service workers with a direct service and provided over $7 million in financial assistance. GK’s growth sped up significantly in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Georgia and thousands of food service workers lost their jobs and needed referrals to food banks, free clinics, homeless shelters, and more. GK’s James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2019 — paired with rampant word-of-mouth in 2020 — accelerated industry-wide awareness of GK, prompting the organization to move up its expansion timeline. They officially launched in Tennessee in 2021 and have added a staff member in Charlotte, N.C., this year as they begin robustly serving the Southeast as part of their national growth plan.
“Our goal for Giving Kitchen is to be a part of every food service community in the United States and for Giving Kitchen to be recognized as one of the leading brands in our nation,” says GK Executive Director Bryan Schroeder. “At a time when Giving Kitchen’s urgent work is most needed and our support for food service workers is at an all-time high, we’re grateful that Fast Company has recognized what 11,000 food service workers and their families already know: Giving Kitchen matters.”
Of the total inquiries Giving Kitchen has received since its inception in 2013, about a third have come in 2022 alone. In just two years of expanding outside Georgia, GK has served clients in 24 states, with no sign of slowing down.
Of GK financial assistance recipients surveyed:
76% say that without help from Giving Kitchen, they would have received an eviction notice
86% report aid from GK prevented them from incurring a late bill on a utility
70% say that GK prevented them from having to skip meals to save money
All of this proves what Giving Kitchen has known for years: food service workers, on average, do not have a financial safety net or a network of community resources to keep them afloat in an emergency. Emergency intervention prevents homelessness, supports recovery from substance abuse, keeps a family’s utilities connected, and alleviates the mental, physical, and emotional burden of a crisis.
Fast Company editors judged each brand on relevancy, cultural impact, ingenuity, and business impact to compile the list.
About Fast Company
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. The editor-in-chief is Brendan Vaughan. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication, Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com.
Giving Kitchen Media Contact
Rebecca Wagner, Sr. Director of Marketing and Communications rebecca@thegivingkitchen.org