Free Food
Free Food is an initiative of Unconditional Freedom (501c3)
The premise of Free Food is radical in its simplicity: that a restaurant-quality meal — served with intention, prepared with care, eaten in community — is a fundamental expression of human dignity, and it belongs to everyone.
“You come in and get to sit with gentle people and have a great welcome. It feels medicinal to come in off the streets and come here.”
— Dee, program participantThe Evidence
Free Food Harlem operates out of Emanuel AME Church on 119th Street, serving three-course meals every Wednesday and Friday, and a fresh organic produce pantry every Tuesday. In partnership with Food for Soul, the program brings culinary mastery to those the city has made invisible. In 2025, it has served over 30,000 meals and recovered more than 100,000 pounds of food from the waste stream.
Free Food Harlem serves over 700 meals weekly in a full sit-down dining experience at Emanuel AME Church, Harlem.
Over 100,000 pounds of surplus food recovered from the waste stream and returned to the community as groceries and meals.
45+ farms and businesses donate fresh produce, ingredients, and resources. Guest chefs from across the culinary world volunteer weekly.