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Teaming up to fight hunger in San Antonio
April 5, 2022
More than 20 local Chick-fil-A restaurants donate food weekly through the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, a representative from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, one of the longest-running nonprofits in Southwest Texas stops by Chick-fil-A Alamo Ranch Marketplace and Chick-fil-A Potranco Road in San Antonio, Texas, to pick up chicken, biscuits, salads and other surplus cooked/prepped menu items.
“Those few minutes are a happy time for our Team Members, because they know that food is headed downtown to feed people in need,” said Greg Patterson, Chick-fil-A Operator for both locations.
A Shared Table
The three-times-a-week routine supports the Chick-fil-A Shared Table™ program, which helps franchise Operators like Patterson fight hunger in the local communities they proudly serve by donating wholesome surplus food to soup kitchens, shelters, senior centers, after-school programs and charities. Food Donation Connection links restaurant and food service donors to hunger relief agencies and coordinates pickups and drop-offs.
“Every day, our kitchen supervisors take our leftover food, weighs or counts it, and seals everything in food-safe bags to maximize freshness,” Patterson said. “A St. Vincent rep, who we all know and greet by name, comes in the kitchen and picks up the food from our fridge in thermal coolers to deliver to those in need.”
More than 20 Chick-fil-A restaurants in the San Antonio area participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, with most donations going to St. Vincent. The kitchen’s chef uses the food to prepare casseroles and other dishes for men and women staying at the Haven for Hope homeless shelter.
Since 2012, more than 1,300 participating Chick-fil-A restaurants in 47 states have donated 14 million meals through Chick-fil-A Shared Table — helping to both fight food insecurity and reduce food waste. Read about 10 additional markets leading the way in Chick-fil-A Shared Table donations.
“It’s like seeing family”
Outside of Shared Table, the San Antonio market has donated more than 100,000 meals to St. Vincent since 2016. The partnership started in 2015, when Chick-fil-A Bandera Road Operator Richard Gonzales began donating 450 meals per month to St. Vincent. After seeing the impact one Operator could make, the market’s 32 restaurants voted unanimously in 2016 to collectively support the organization.
Each month, three restaurants each donate 170 Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwiches, along with chips and cookies (510 meals total), which St. Vincent staff members distribute to the local homeless community. Additionally, Team Members from these restaurants volunteer to help distribute meals at St. Vincent once a month.
The market also hosts winter coat drives, where customers bring in a new or gently used coat in exchange for a free Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich.
“It’s like seeing family every month,” said Christie Gentry, Chick-fil-A Area Marketing Director. “Watching hundreds of people come through the door for a meal, working alongside people staying at Haven for Hope, and offering a little warmth by greeting everyone with a smile is truly special.”
More than 20 local Chick-fil-A restaurants donate food weekly through the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, a representative from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, one of the longest-running nonprofits in Southwest Texas stops by Chick-fil-A Alamo Ranch Marketplace and Chick-fil-A Potranco Road in San Antonio, Texas, to pick up chicken, biscuits, salads and other surplus cooked/prepped menu items.
“Those few minutes are a happy time for our Team Members, because they know that food is headed downtown to feed people in need,” said Greg Patterson, Chick-fil-A Operator for both locations.
A Shared Table
The three-times-a-week routine supports the Chick-fil-A Shared Table™ program, which helps franchise Operators like Patterson fight hunger in the local communities they proudly serve by donating wholesome surplus food to soup kitchens, shelters, senior centers, after-school programs and charities. Food Donation Connection links restaurant and food service donors to hunger relief agencies and coordinates pickups and drop-offs.
“Every day, our kitchen supervisors take our leftover food, weighs or counts it, and seals everything in food-safe bags to maximize freshness,” Patterson said. “A St. Vincent rep, who we all know and greet by name, comes in the kitchen and picks up the food from our fridge in thermal coolers to deliver to those in need.”
More than 20 Chick-fil-A restaurants in the San Antonio area participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, with most donations going to St. Vincent. The kitchen’s chef uses the food to prepare casseroles and other dishes for men and women staying at the Haven for Hope homeless shelter.
Since 2012, more than 1,300 participating Chick-fil-A restaurants in 47 states have donated 14 million meals through Chick-fil-A Shared Table — helping to both fight food insecurity and reduce food waste. Read about 10 additional markets leading the way in Chick-fil-A Shared Table donations.
“It’s like seeing family”
Outside of Shared Table, the San Antonio market has donated more than 100,000 meals to St. Vincent since 2016. The partnership started in 2015, when Chick-fil-A Bandera Road Operator Richard Gonzales began donating 450 meals per month to St. Vincent. After seeing the impact one Operator could make, the market’s 32 restaurants voted unanimously in 2016 to collectively support the organization.
Each month, three restaurants each donate 170 Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwiches, along with chips and cookies (510 meals total), which St. Vincent staff members distribute to the local homeless community. Additionally, Team Members from these restaurants volunteer to help distribute meals at St. Vincent once a month.
The market also hosts winter coat drives, where customers bring in a new or gently used coat in exchange for a free Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich.
“It’s like seeing family every month,” said Christie Gentry, Chick-fil-A Area Marketing Director. “Watching hundreds of people come through the door for a meal, working alongside people staying at Haven for Hope, and offering a little warmth by greeting everyone with a smile is truly special.”
