The opening of Refettorio San Francisco led by local community organization Farming Hope signals new gratitude: strengthening community resilience through local networks that support and promote socio-economic mobility and a healthier food system.
Refettorio San Francisco will provide a sense of belonging, whispering the power of beauty through social inclusivity and the importance of coming together to support the growing need in San Francisco. Our mission is culturally driven to strengthen the social ecosystem through the guiding principles Value of Hospitality, Power of Beauty and Quality of Ideas. The space will reflect local design and artist representation that offers an uplifting experience and shines light on the often invisible potential around us.
Through Refettorio San Francisco, Farming Hope’s goodwill impact in the community will grow and continue to strengthen the network of partners working to ensure no one is left behind and pave opportunities that bridge social divides. Local partnerships represent a diverse network of community based organizations offering holistic services to connect guests to the services they need from housing, education, job training, food assistance and wellness.
"The summer of '78 I went to San Francisco to study English. To a 16yr old boy from Modena, California meant rock concerts, convertible cars, and cowboy hats. After three months I was a different Massimo. Yes, my English had improved but it was the life lessons I learned about diversity and freedom of expression that changed me forever. Opening Refettorio San Francisco is a way for me to give back, to say “thank you” to this amazing city.”
Massimo Bottura
Give your time
Volunteers help us ensure our programs and services meet the needs of the community. Whether you love food, are dedicated to sustainability or simply want to give back, we welcome you to join us. Let us know your time, interest and what would make a great volunteer experience for you.
Help Refettorio San Francisco build a culture in which the local community feels a sense of belonging, where no individual or food is left behind. Your contribution will sustain and grow impact, helping to reduce food waste, improve food security and sustain job training and workforce for those in greatest need.
Food for Soul is a non-profit organization founded by chef Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore to empower local communities to reduce food waste and support social inclusion. By enabling the transformation of people, places and food, Food for Soul builds a culture of value that strengthens community resilience, opens opportunities for social and economic mobility and builds healthier and more equitable food systems.
Farming Hope is a garden-to-table job training nonprofit organization, with a mission dedicated to empower and employ individuals out of poverty through job apprenticeships and experiential learning in both urban farms and foodservice kitchens. The organization has been a leading force in the community since its founding, offering innovative ideas and social enterprise to foster engagement and inclusivity while expanding job training and apprenticeships for at-risk neighbors. These initiatives paved the way to diversify foodservice programs to include in-kind meals for those with food insufficiency and raise awareness around the health and equity of our food system.
Program Highlights
Refettorio program activities will offer paid, empowering transitional employment for those more vulnerable and support economic opportunities for those who need it most through their social enterprise and food services to reduce food waste and nourish those food insecure across San Francisco city county. With a vision to transform lives and rebuild communities, Refettorio programs will embrace and serve the greater San Francisco community offering food education initiatives, cultural programming, events and volunteer opportunities that promote social cohesion through a just food system.
"Refettorio San Francisco will be Farming Hope's home for job training and community meals. The belonging our job training creates, the nourishment and sense of not being forgotten brought by a delivered meal, these are what our neighbors need desperately this holiday season in particular."
Jamie Stark
Who we serve
Our aim is to offer basic necessities with dignity and respect by investing in those individuals, families, children and youth socially vulnerable who are in need of social and economic capital to sustain well being and livelihood. Our guests are not always seen, often marginalized, living in or transitioning through San Francisco including those living without stable housing, access to fresh healthier foods.
Community meal initiatives
With over 1 in 4 residents facing food insecurity in SF due to the impact of COVID 19, Farming Hope has responded to the need for individually prepared, nourishing meals, feeding 47,775 San Franciscans since the beginning of shelter-in-place measures.
Farming Hope will continue these efforts supporting SF food security initiatives and offering provisions to organizations such as TNDC and SF New Deal. These efforts will expand adding services for families, children and youth through key partnerships addressing housing and wellbeing. This year they will be delivered by volunteers from TogetherSF.
Farming Hope continues to provide over 1000 meals each week to support food security contracts across the city. During Thanksgiving week, they will prepare additionally over 450 meals to TNDC and over 170 meals to Conard House. Giving gratitude and encouragement for these community organizations, staff and volunteers who collectively work to ensure safety, security and well being for those socially vulnerable in the community. These services will expand in the forthcoming weeks to include meals for those families, children and youth in collaboration with nonprofit organizations supporting full continuum care services.
Sustainable Flavors
The special holiday meals offer a touch of ethnic flavors such as Jerk Chicken and Turkey Enchiladas while celebrating the local fall harvest of root and leafy vegetables and fruits in the Bay area. The Refettorio will expand the scope of food recovery efforts taking action not only to recover food surplus but to actively reduce food waste from the supply chain working in tandem with local and regional farms, suppliers and distributors mission aligned to ensure no food is left behind.
