World Central Kitchen

After months without reliable food or clean water, hundreds of people evacuated from Oleshky arrived in Chernihiv region exhausted from a long journey. WCK teams were there with hot meals, drinking water, and snacks so families could eat and rest before heading to their next destinations. Since 2022, WCK has provided more than 39 million meals in the Kherson region, and our teams will keep supporting evacuated families as they relocate across Ukraine. #ChefsForUkraine

84-year-old Andrii was at home in Ukraine when, suddenly, the roof collapsed on him. His house had been struck by a Russian drone, injuring him and destroying his house. When WCK teams heard his story, we jumped in to provide him with food and a portable stove so he could once again cook for himself. As he embarks on the long journey towards rebuilding, our #ChefsForUkraine teams will be by his side.

This is what it looks like to package hundreds of thousands of meals every day in Gaza. Teams at WCK's network of kitchens work around the clock to prepare each meal with care. Once they’re loaded into vans, we work alongside local partners to distribute them to displacement camps and medical centers. #ChefsForGaza

Over the past 16 years, World Central Kitchen has watched cyclones become increasingly common and intense. In response, WCK teams around the world have served over 27 million meals in over 20 countries with the support of hundreds of local partners, volunteers, and community members. As our global networks grow and become more robust, we are increasingly able to respond to more and more disasters, supporting local community members as they lead the way towards recovery. Learn more about how we stay ready for storms: wck.org/news/cyclone-ready #ChefsForTheWorld

In Ukraine, this week’s localized ceasefire has brought Kherson its first stretch of calm in years. WCK teams have been delivering food across this region throughout the war—and this week, we can reach families who are usually much harder to get to. Our teams are moving across Kherson now with food kits and essential supplies, reaching thousands of families. Since 2022, WCK has provided more than 39 million meals across the Kherson region through hot meals, food kits, vegetable kits, and other food assistance. #ChefsForUkraine

WCK’s #ChefsForPanama team is working alongside 12 local restaurants to make sure hot meals get to the families that need them most after the earthquake. Chef Corps member Isaac Villaverde is helping coordinate those efforts. He helped us connect with restaurants that were already cooking for their neighbors, and he’s supporting their teams as they prepare thousands of meals every day. This is what community-led relief efforts look like: local leaders, local restaurants, and local flavors. El equipo #ChefsForPanama de WCK está colaborando con 12 restaurantes locales para que las comidas calientes lleguen a las familias que más lo necesitan tras el terremoto. Isaac, miembro del Chef Corps, ayuda a coordinar estos esfuerzos: nos puso en contacto con restaurantes que ya estaban cocinando para sus vecinos y acompaña a sus equipos en la preparación de miles de comidas cada día. Así es la recuperación liderada por la comunidad: líderes locales, restaurantes locales y sabores locales.

WCK’s #ChefsForUkraine team arrived in Chernihiv’s city center immediately after today’s Russian drone strike, serving hot meals to residents affected by the attack. The strike started fires and damaged shops, homes, and cars. Two teenage girls were killed and more than 20 people were injured. As families recover, we’ll be there to bring them comfort—one bowl of borsch at a time.

WCK mobilized immediately after receiving word of the deadly train collision in Toledo, Spain. Our teams were on site quickly in Urda serving meals to community members in need. WCK Board Member Chef Pepa Muñoz spoke to @vanitatis about her experience on the ground in Toledo: vanitatis.elconfidencial.com… #ChefsForSpain WCK se movilizó de inmediato al conocer la noticia del choque de trenes en Toledo, España. Nuestros equipos llegaron rápidamente a Urda para servir comidas a las personas afectadas. La chef Pepa Muñoz, miembro de la junta directiva de WCK, habló con @vanitatis de su experiencia sobre el terreno en Toledo: vanitatis.elconfidencial.com… #ChefsForSpain

Take a look inside WCK’s meal operation in Urda, Spain. Today our teams served freshly made paella to the first responders working nonstop at the site of yesterday’s train collision. We set up our paella pans right at the distribution point, so plates go out the moment crews rotate off shift. We’ve been here around the clock since the first hours after the crash: dinner through the night, coffee and breakfast at dawn, and now a hot meal that tastes like home. #ChefsForSpain Echa un vistazo al interior de la operación de comidas de WCK en Urda, España. Hoy nuestros equipos han servido paella recién hecha a los efectivos de emergencia que trabajan sin descanso en el lugar del choque de trenes de ayer. Montamos las paelleras justo en el punto de distribución, para que los platos salgan en cuanto los equipos terminan su turno. Llevamos aquí sin parar desde las primeras horas tras el accidente: cena durante la noche, café y desayuno al amanecer, y ahora un plato caliente que sabe a casa. #ChefsForSpain

Emergency crews worked through the night at the site of the train collision in Urda, Toledo, and they're still on the ground. To help them stay warm and nourished through their long shifts, WCK is providing hot meals and warm drinks. For dinner, we served bacalao with spinach and chickpeas, a classic and comforting Spanish stew. We’re working together with local partners to make sure first responders get the support they need, and we’ll be here as long as they need us. #ChefsForSpain Los equipos de emergencia trabajaron durante toda la noche en el lugar del choque de trenes en Urda, Toledo, y todavía están sobre el terreno. Para ayudarles a mantenerse calientes y bien alimentados durante sus largos turnos, WCK esta sirviendo comidas y bebidas calientes. Para cenar servimos bacalao con espinaca y garbanzos, un guiso español clásico y reconfortante. Trabajamos con colaboradores locales para que estos equipos reciban el apoyo que necesitan, y seguiremos aquí el tiempo que haga falta. #ChefsForSpain

In Palo Seco, Panama, WCK Chef Corps members Isaac and Mario visited Ocekepala, one of our local restaurant partners supporting communities impacted by the earthquake. Ocekepala's team prepares and delivers meals to local families themselves, and they make the three-hour round trip to Santiago for supplies every four days to ensure their kitchen never stops. Chefs Isaac and Mario learned the meaning of the restaurant's name during their time on the ground. The owners, who moved from France to Panama, told them it’s a play on words: their daughter Ocean, nicknamed Oce, stayed behind in France, and “Ocekepala” sounds like “Oce qu’est pas là,” French for “Oce, who isn’t here.” Far from home and their daughter, this family opened their kitchen to an entire community. WCK is proud to cook alongside them. #ChefsForPanama En Palo Seco, Panamá, los chefs Isaac y Mario, del Chef Corps de WCK, visitaron Ocekepala, uno de nuestros restaurantes colaboradores que apoya a las comunidades afectadas por el terremoto. El equipo de Ocekepala prepara y lleva las comidas directamente a las familias de la zona, y hace un viaje de tres horas hasta Santiago cada cuatro días para comprar suministros para que la cocina no se detenga. Durante la visita, Isaac y Mario descubrieron de dónde viene el nombre del restaurante. Los propietarios, que se mudaron de Francia a Panamá, les contaron que es un juego de palabras: su hija Ocean, a quien cariñosamente llaman Oce, se quedó en Francia, y “Ocekepala” suena como “Oce qu’est pas là”, que en francés significa “Oce, la que no está”. Lejos de su casa y de su hija, esta familia abrió su cocina a toda una comunidad. En WCK nos sentimos orgullosos de cocinar junto a ellos. #ChefsForPanama

Spain Update 📢 Through the night, WCK has been at the site of the Urda, Toledo train collision, supporting hundreds of first responders. Chef Pepa Muñoz and our team were there with dinner, coffee and snacks, and we’ll be back with breakfast. Because when a community is going through its worst, we show up—with food and with all our love. #ChefsForSpain Actualización desde España 📢 Durante toda la noche, WCK ha estado en el lugar del choque de tren en Urda, Toledo apoyando a cientos de efectivos de emergencia. La chef Pepa Muñoz y nuestro equipo estuvieron allí con cena, café y algo para picar, y volveremos con el desayuno. Porque cuando una comunidad atraviesa su peor momento, ahí estamos—con comida y con todo nuestro cariño. #ChefsForSpain

“Food has given me purpose. I started this journey in my own food truck, and now I get to help other chefs do the same.” – Chef Joey, Grinnin’ Possum Food Truck Chef Joey and his team at Grinnin’ Possum Food Truck are longtime WCK partners, joining us on several responses to serve hot meals in and around their community. This time, Chef Joey was on the other side of things, working with our local restaurant partners in Milton, Florida to make sure they had the support they needed to cook for families affected by Hurricane Isaias. #ChefsForFlorida

Immediately after hearing of the train collision in Toledo, the team at Chef Pepa's El Qüenco de Pepa jumped to action. Chef Pepa and her team made sandwiches—now on the way to Toledo with WCK teams, headed to passengers and the responders working at the scene. #ChefsForSpain Nada más conocer la noticia de la colisión ferroviaria en Toledo, el equipo de El Qüenco de Pepa se puso manos a la obra. La chef Pepa y su equipo prepararon bocadillos que ya van camino de Toledo con equipos de WCK, para los pasajeros y los servicios de emergencia que trabajan en el lugar del accidente. #ChefsForSpain

WCK is responding to a train collision in Toledo, Spain, which killed at least 60 people and left many more injured. The trains had been traveling between Madrid and the Andalusia region. Our teams are en route from Madrid with food trucks and support vehicles to serve meals to passengers and rescuers as quickly as possible. Read More: wck.org/news/toledo-train-co… #ChefsForSpain WCK está respondiendo al accidente de tren ocurrido en Toledo, España, que ha dejado al menos 60 personas fallecidas y muchas más heridas. Los trenes cubrían la ruta entre Madrid y Andalucía. Nuestros equipos se dirigen desde Madrid con food trucks y vehículos de apoyo para servir comidas a los pasajeros y a los equipos de rescate lo antes posible. Más información: wck.org/es/news/primera-aler… #ChefsForSpain

In Gaza, rather than discard damaged cooking pots, WCK is giving them a second life protecting a coastal school from seawater. With winter approaching and stronger tides threatening to flood school tents in Khan Younis, we’re working with the Mayasem Association to recycle those retired pots into seawater barriers so students can keep attneding class. #ChefsForGaza

This summer, the team at Vanis Restauración worked alongside WCK teams in Almería and Ávila to support communities impacted by historic wildfires. Last week they stepped up again, serving meals at the Advanced Command Post in Oliva, Valencia for emergency teams responding to the DANA Adam flooding. They helped these crews stay fueled, supporting the response across Valencia and Alicante one meal at a time. #ChefsForSpain Este verano, el equipo de Vanis Restauración colaboró con WCK en Almería y Ávila para apoyar a las comunidades afectadas por los históricos incendios forestales. Y volvió a estar presente la semana pasada, sirviendo comidas en el Puesto de Mando Avanzado de Oliva, Valencia a los equipos de emergencia que respondieron a las inundaciones de la DANA Adam. Ayudaron a que estos equipos mantuvieran las fuerzas, apoyando la respuesta en Valencia y Alicante plato a plato. #ChefsForSpain

Chef Mario, head chef and founder of the Grupo Maito, has been cooking in Panama for more than 25 years, and now his culinary journey includes being part of WCK’s Chef Corps. He joined our response supporting communities impacted by the recent earthquake, sharing his local knowledge to help us get hot meals to the people that need them most. #ChefsForPanama El chef Mario, chef ejecutivo y fundador del Grupo Maito, lleva más de 25 años cocinando en Panamá, y ahora su trayectoria culinaria incluye formar parte del Chef Corps de WCK. Se sumó a nuestra respuesta en apoyo a las comunidades afectadas por el reciente terremoto, compartiendo su conocimiento local para ayudarnos a llevar comidas calientes a quienes más las necesitan. #ChefsForPanama

Bilal’s home was filled with a lifetime of family memories. Now, he is living in a temporary shelter because his house was destroyed. Meals from WCK’s kitchen in Kfour, Lebanon are a lifeline for him while he tries to find a sense of normalcy and rebuild. Bilal’s story is one of countless stories of loss, displacement, and the strength to carry on. For everyone living under these circumstances, every meal is an act of solidarity and hope. #ChefsForMidEast

As we begin to wind down our response to DANA Adam in Alicante and Valencia, Spain, WCK teams are serving fruit and hot meals to families impacted by the storm. Now that cleanup is well underway and many people have power restored, we're working to make sure families have what they need as they begin to return to their lives. Over the course of this response, we've worked hand-in-hand with our local restaurant partners and organizations like Ford to serve thousands of meals, and we'll continue to rely on these partners as they care for their neighbors moving forward. #ChefsForSpain A medida que empezamos a reducir nuestra respuesta a la DANA Adam en Alicante y Valencia, los equipos de WCK siguen distribuyendo fruta y comidas calientes a las familias afectadas por el temporal. A medida que avanzan las tareas de limpieza y se recupera el suministro eléctrico en muchas localidades, seguimos trabajando para que las familias tengan el apoyo que necesitan para recuperar la normalidad. Durante esta respuesta, hemos colaborado con nuestros restaurantes colaboradores y con organizaciones como Ford para servir comidas. Seguiremos contando con su apoyo mientras continúan ayudando a sus comunidades. #ChefsForSpain