Tabatchnick Partners with NYC’s Largest Soup Kitchen
Giving back
Tabatchnick donating more than 50,000 gallons of soup to New York City’s largest soup kitchen
Twenty years ago, Ben Tabatchnick volunteered on the serving line of one of New York City’s
largest soup kitchens.
Now CEO of Tabatchnick Fine Foods, America’s oldest family-owned soup company, Ben
Tabatchnick has returned to Holy Apostles as a corporate donor and Holy Apostles launched
“Tabatchnick Fridays.”
More than 24,000 gallons of donated soup has been consumed by a growing clientele in the last year, and an expected 24,000 more will be served in the months to come, as Ben Tabatchnick announced his company’s support of Holy Apostles will continue.
“It’s a wonderful partnership for us”, says the 4th-generation soup maker. “When I volunteered here 20 years ago, I saw firsthand what a well-run program it is. Unfortunately, the need is now greater, and I’m happy to be in a position to help.”
Over 500 gallons of soup are served every Friday to serve the 1,200 hungry and homeless New Yorkers who visit Holy Apostles every weekday. Guest numbers have grown year on year since the soup kitchen opened its doors in 1982, and with more than one in three New Yorkers experiencing difficulties affording food, demand is reaching a record high. In a single year, Tabatchnick’s donation fed over 50,000 clients.
“This donation saves us about $1,100 a week or more than $57,000 annually”, says Executive Director Reverend Glenn Chalmers, “and it couldn’t come at a better time. Thousands of people in the city rely on us every week, not only for food but for our counseling and referrals services, for a safe place to rest and relax. This generous donation from Tabatchnick means we can stretch our funds further towards providing our guests with services that will help move them off the soup kitchen line for good.”
In business since 1905, Tabatchnick produces frozen and shelf-stable soups and side dishes. In addition to its retail soup business, the company has government contracts and access to excess commodities that has allowed it to be an innovator in developing, packaging and bringing to market a range of healthful foods for diverse audiences.
School systems, shelters, elderly nutrition programs, worldwide relief programs – all have benefited from Tabatchnick’s pioneering approach to food development and production that means bringing ready to use therapeutic foods to needy populations in a matter of weeks instead of months. By working to relieve the global food crisis, Tabatchnick and its partners in government, academia, industry and social agencies have put food within the reach of millions of the world’s poor.
Ben Tabatchnick notes the Holy Apostle menu didn’t even include soup before he came along. “Sure, 500 gallons of soup a week is a lot of product, but hey – whats a soup kitchen without soup?”
