These Sleek Soup Kitchens Fight Hunger and Loneliness

In the medieval era and Middle Ages, monks gathered around refectory tables—long, low slabs of walnut or oak—to take meals as a group. In Italian, the rough translation is Refettorio—and that’s also the word adopted by the nonprofit Food for Soul to describe the sleek soup kitchens spearheaded by the Michelin-starred Italian chef Massimo Bottura.

They aim to both feed and nourish, fighting the tangled problems of food waste, food insecurity, and social isolation. Launched in 2015 at the Milan Expo, the Refettorios take in surplus ingredients from local supermarkets or catering firms, using them to supply spaces they’ve outfitted as kitchens and dining halls. Last summer, an outpost in Rio repurposed excess food from the Olympic Village; another will open this year in the London neighborhood of Kensington. To date, the organization estimates it’s served over 15,000 meals. Today, the Rockefeller Foundation announced a $500,000 grant that will bring the project to the U.S. for the first time.