At the risk of sounding like a broken record, restaurants have had a tough go of it the past few years. Food insecurity has been around for much longer, and while Chattanooga has no shortage of incredible organizations already working on this issue, a new one is approaching it at a different angle.
Enter: Chattanooga’s newest local nonprofit FABRIC, organized + supported by small business ally Capacity. The nonprofit is working to address food insecurity in Chattanooga while supporting locally-owned restaurants through its new model.
The model
- People donate via FABRIC’s website, and that money goes directly to a local restaurant like Proof Bar & Incubator, which is already a partner of the new nonprofit.
- Your donation will buy one or several meals at full price, just like paying for a meal at the restaurant you’re at.
- The difference? Rather than taking the meal home or sitting down at a table to eat, the meal(s) you buy will be directed toward people or organizations in need.
- Several other local orgs have already pledged to match donations dollar for dollar.
- You can donate to a specific restaurant or to all food partners + choose to make a recurring or one-time donation.
Where are the meals going?
The meals won’t necessarily be going to one specific place — instead, FABRIC has partnered with local organizations like United Way + Unlearn Everything and Live to ensure that these meals go where they’re needed.
The big picture
Through one donation from someone in Chattanooga (or anywhere, really), there’s a lot of local love + support happening:
- Local restaurants | Restaurants like Proof, Bitter Alibi, Bea’s, Barque, and more that decide to join in are receiving more income.
- Local people | Hot + restaurant-quality meals going to organizations that assist people in need.
- Local economy | The money going to these restaurants is often recirculated into the local economy — through staff members, real estate, food, supplies, etc.
