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I would like to share with you my latest passion project.  The World Central Kitchen is an non-profit organization founded by Jose Andres, a world renown chef and advocate for people in need. His focus has been to ensure that no one goes hungry during time of crisis. World Central Kitchen starts back 2010 with the devastating Earthquakes in Haiti.  They found themselves in the limelight, when Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria, and WCK were on the frontlines within four days sourcing local growers, food suppliers, restaurants, and chefs and started feeding thousands of people right away. 

 

What I love about this organization, is they solve problems in real time. Not only are they feeding people for nourishment, they are feeding their spirit, their hope, and their belief in humanity. All while sourcing local businesses, restauranteurs, suppliers, growers, and chefs to help with getting food delivered to the frontlines as quickly as possible. World Central Kitchen sees a crisis and they show up and then solve it on the ground floor. They dispatch all over the world when a crisis hits. As of right now, they have made over 30 million meals to displaced Ukrainians since February.  The war hit Ukraine and they had boots on the ground the very next day.  They have served over 70 million meals to date since its inception, and counting.  They are currently dispatched to countries all over the world including the US right now. Not just Ukraine.  

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I have friend who is working with World Central Kitchen in Ukraine right now, and she has shared with me some touching words and photos (top of page, and below) of what she has witnessed there and I would like to share that with you:

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"I originally flew to Europe to help feed Ukrainian refugees in Romania with World Central Kitchen on Sunday February 27, 2022, just 3 days after Russia invaded Ukraine. As soon as I arrived in Romania, I went to the border in Siret, Romania. Even at 1am the refugees continued to walk through the border in the bitter cold. I saw hundreds walking with just a backpack or pulling a single suitcase. Babies and dogs in arms, all rosy from the cold. My initial reaction was awe at how many locals were lined along the streets at the border to hand out snacks, diapers, blankets, anything you could think of. What World Central Kitchen was able to do was scale up operations to ensure there was a hot meal for every single person walking across that border, not just on occasion. As the week progressed, we were able to grow our support by working with local restaurants who could cook and deliver food to additional border crossings and shelters all over the country. Within days, we were able to expand into Moldova where thousands of refugees crossed the border every day and were inundating every city in the country. All of this while other members of World Central Kitchen began to build a field kitchen in Poland to feed the tens of thousands crossing into Poland each day.

 

 

When I was asked if I would go with a team to Lviv, Ukraine to help support the hundreds of thousands of refugees who had traveled west but didn’t want to leave their home country it was an easy decision. After that we were able to extend our support further and further east within Ukraine and are now, with the support of many local partners and restaurants, as close as a few kilometers from the front lines in many areas.  I support World Central Kitchen because they go to the places most in need. They provide warmth, both in bellies and in hearts. Some of the most important work I feel I have been able to do with World Central Kitchen in Ukraine is to look people in the eyes and let them know they are not alone. If you are fed and have someone who cares, it can make the world feel less alone. This is why I stand with World Central Kitchen."

 

-Morgan Rains, World Central Kitchen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As much as I wish I could help on the frontlines, and hopefully one day I will, what I can do now, is raise money and awareness about this special organization.

 

I kicked off this fundraiser back in June. I donated 10% of my profits from my Around the World Dinner Club Pick up during the month of June to WCK.  I have decided to keep the donation page live for the rest of the year.  So people can donate at any time.   Even the smallest of donations help.  I hope you join me in this humanitarian effort. Spread the word to your friends and family,  We need to support the organizations that not only feed people in crisis, but also find ways to help the local businesses rebuild again at the same time.  Nourishing people while building resilience.  If you would like to find out more information about WCK, go to www.wck.org.  There is also a brilliant documentary on Jose Andres and WCK, directed by Ron Howard streaming on Disney+.  Lets come tougher and help where we can. Every little bit helps.  As long as we are taking action, we are making a difference. 

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Thank you!

Ali Bonfantine 

Owner/Chef, Ali's Eats