Jaclinn Tanney’s food enterprise has donated 4 million meals while creating opportunity for its largely immigrant workforce.
There was always an extra seat at the table in Jaclinn Tanney’s childhood home.
Raised in a family that emphasized helping those in need—a value shaped in part by her grandparents, Holocaust survivors who emigrated to New York after World War II—Tanney learned early that food could be an expression of dignity and hope.
That belief was tested in early 2020.
The Migrant Kitchen, a newly launched New York City catering business, faced uncertainty at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic—including a canceled order for 1,000 meals that had already been prepared.
The cancellation became the catalyst for a scalable social enterprise. Rather than discard the food, staff donated the meals to a nearby hospital, feeding health care workers treating an influx of critically ill patients. Within days, demand surged.
Article originally published on SU Today by Jessica Youngman on February 24, 2026 here.
