1 Family 1 Restaurant

 

 

Our speaker on Monday, May 4, was James Panagoti, co-founder of 1 Family, 1 Restaurant, an innovative new program that aims to help food-insecure individuals and families enjoy the special pleasure of dining out in area restaurants. "One in six people are food-insecure across the country," said James. 1 Family 1 Restaurant brings them together with participating restaurants and people wishing to donate the needed funds to make that happen.

 

Using a streamlined online system (1f1r.org), people can donate one or more meals through their favorite participating restaurant. Food-insecure individuals can then redeem a donated meal through a "reservation" that allows them to visit the restaurant and enjoy a meal with their family. "For many," said James, "going out to eat is like a trip to Disneyland. That's how special the experience is."

 

The 1 Family 1 Restaurant organization is an official partner with 200-plus food banks across the country, and it is James' vision to expand the program nationwide. "In the U.S., 46.5 million people are food-insecure. We want to bring the simple pleasure of dining out to them."