Gratitude is the Greatest Multiplier: Eat For Good Dinner at MISI Raises 210,000 Meals
WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN, Mar. 26, 2025 — On a crisp spring evening, 60 guests gathered at Missy Robbins’ acclaimed restaurant MISI for Food Bank For New York City’s latest “Eat For Good” dinner, where world-class chefs Robbins and LA’s Evan Funke collaborated for their first-ever joint meal, combining culinary excellence with purpose.
Thanks to sponsors MetLife, United Airlines, Acqua Panna, S.Pellegrino, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka, the event raised nearly 210,000 meals for New Yorkers in need, with 100% of the proceeds funding culturally relevant, fresh food to communities across the city.
“These people aren’t homeless or uneducated — most have two or three jobs and still don’t have enough food to eat,” said Matt Honeycutt, Chief Development Officer at Food Bank For NYC, opening the evening. “How do you get people excited about feeding 1.3 million people facing food insecurity? Recruit the greatest chefs in the world to create an experience no one has ever seen before.”
The sit-down, intimate dinner featured Tito’s gimlets followed by leeks with anchovy vinaigrette, fennel salad, Bistecca with fennel pollen, and olive oil gelato — all reflecting the chefs’ shared passion for Italian cuisine.
“My food is herbaceous and green — just like spring,” said Robbins. “When Food Bank asked who I wanted to cook with, I immediately said ‘Evan.’ We share a love of Italy and respect for food’s power to connect.”
“Gratitude is the greatest multiplier in life,” added Funke, chef-owner of Mother Wolf. “Extending care to the community is essential.”
Longtime supporter Sima Littman, who hasn’t missed a single Eat For Good event, attended with her daughter Dalia. “We grew up eating dinner as a family every night — that ritual is everything,” said Dalia.
“Our family has always thought it’s really important to give back when you have so much,” said Sima. “It makes me crazy that a child in this city goes to sleep hungry. Events like this make an impact in the right way.”
As the evening concluded, the message was clear: in a city where hunger often hides in plain sight, these dinners do more than raise funds — they remind us that breaking bread together might be the first step toward breaking cycles of food insecurity.
About Food Bank
Driven by our mission to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good, we harness the collective power of our network of food providers, partners, and volunteers to activate the right resources, supports, and expertise across the five boroughs. Our work with more than 800 soup kitchens, food pantries, and campus partners provides immediate and reliable access to food and nutrition education, while our economic empowerment programs give people the tools and know-how to improve their financial wellness. Community by community, we work together to make progress on a more hopeful, dignified, and equitable future for all.