Chef José Andres and the World Central Kitchen: Feeding Disaster Victims Around the World
Chef José Ramón Andrés Puerta is the guy who brought the concept of small plate dining to America, and he owns restaurants in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Las Vegas, South Beach, Orlando, New York City, and Frisco, Texas. But that’s not his true success story.
Photo Source: wck.org
From an Idea to a Global Force
Chef José Ramón Andrés Puerta is the guy who brought the concept of small plate dining to America, and he owns restaurants in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Las Vegas, South Beach, Orlando, New York City, and Frisco, Texas. But that’s not his true success story.
World Central Kitchen uses the power of food to empower communities and strengthen economies
In 2010, he founded World Central Kitchen, which has developed into a global network of chefs creating solutions to hunger and poverty worldwide. World Central Kitchen uses the power of food to empower communities and strengthen economies
WCK Activates for Natural and Human Disasters
When disaster strikes, World Central Kitchen’s Chef Relief Teams step out of the kitchen and right up to the front lines to provide meals to people in need. And when I say “around the world,” I mean it. They’ve responded to emergencies in Haiti, Peru, Houston, Puerto Rico, California, Hawaii, Indonesia, Guatemala, Mexico the Carolinas, Florida, Nebraska, Mozambique, Colombia, Venezuela and more.
They’ve used cars, trucks, helicopters, seaplanes, and boats to distribute their meals.
Here’s just one astounding statistic: WCK teams have been cooking every single day since September 2017. Their model is quick action, leverage local resources, and adapt in real time. This allow them to respond to multiple disasters simultaneously, even if they occur on opposite ends of the earth. They’ve used cars, trucks, helicopters, seaplanes, and boats to distribute their meals.
Chef José and his organization partner with organizations on the ground and activate a network of food trucks and emergency kitchens, serving freshly made, nutritious meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively. They know that good food provides not only nourishment, but also comfort, especially in times of crisis.
They’ve created more than 10 million meals through 24 deployments with over 44,000 volunteer shifts worked, to survivors in the aftermath of natural and man-made disasters.
Their meals are always fresh, never pre-packaged, and made with locally sourced proteins and vegetables, and when available, served with recyclable plates and cutlery. They’ve created more than 10 million meals through 24 deployments with over 44,000 volunteer shifts worked, to survivors in the aftermath of natural and man-made disasters.
Photo Source: wck.org
Some of their recent deployments include:
Puerto Rico – 3.7 million meals after Hurricane Maria
Bahamas – 2 million meals after Hurricane Dorian
Guatemala – 500,000 meals after the Fuego Volcano eruption
North Carolina – 300,000 meals after Hurricane Florence
Indonesia – 550,000 meals after the earthquake and tsunamis
California – 400,000 meals after multiple wildfires
Tijuana – 250,000 meals to refugees from Central America
Washington, DC – 100,000 meals for Federal employees during the government shutdown
Colombia – 670,000 and counting meals for Venezuelan refugees
Haiti – Over 13,000 meals to those affected by recent unrest
Nebraska and South Dakota – 22,000 meals after severe flooding
Mozambique – More than 350,000 meals after Cyclone Idai
Better Recruitment
This allows companies to choose the best candidates for the job.
Some HR departments are using VR in their recruitment processes. Potential employees have an opportunity to engage in “real” work scenarios and challenges and can offer solutions on how they would tackle the problems presented to them. This allows companies to choose the best candidates for the job.
Flexible Training
It provides for flexible training schedules, allowing employees to attend training sessions when they are available and from wherever they are.
Virtual training provides a seemingly physical involvement – with real employee training. And it provides for flexible training schedules, allowing employees to attend training sessions when they are available and from wherever they are.
Improved Sharing and Work Collaboration
More and more companies are adopting remote working. This allows them to source qualified personnel globally without requiring them to relocate. If they need to meet, they can do so through video conferencing. And they can exchange essential information through email, while brainstorming or consulting through instant messaging.
Additional Programs from WCK
Food For Thought builds school and community kitchens equipped with clean or improved cook stoves and the cooking equipment needed to prepare food in these institutional settings.
The healthy meals cooked in these kitchens act as an impetus for students to increase their school attendance, help to improve their ability to learn as well as the health of the students and school cooks.
It’s designed for school cooks in underserved communities who are not familiar with basic sanitary kitchen and food handling practices.
Sink to Stove provides food safety and sanitation training from culinary professionals. It’s designed for school cooks in underserved communities who are not familiar with basic sanitary kitchen and food handling practices.
Sink to Stove training is conducted in all school kitchens that they build or update through their Food For Thought program. They also partner with other organizations that oversee feeding programs in other schools to train their cooks in these important concepts.
École des Chefs Culinary School
WCK’s professional culinary arts training program offers a 5-month long curriculum that prepares the next generation of chefs for their first job in the commercial kitchens of local restaurants and hotels.
The program began in 2015 in partnership with the Haitian Department of Education, and in 2017, they built and opened their own École des Chef culinary school in Port-au-Prince. The building features a world-class, professional kitchen, along with a full dining room for training and hosting of events.
They graduate more than 40 chefs each year, with 100% internship placement and 60% job placement following their internship.
Plow To Plate
World Central Kitchen is committed to reducing the high rate of food insecurity that exists in Puerto Rico by supporting and partnering with smallholder farms, agricultural organizations, and small businesses in the food economy through direct funding grants.
Their Plow To Plate program is increasing food security in Puerto Rico by providing funding, training, and networking opportunities to smallholder farmers and businesses that support local agriculture.
After serving nearly 4 million meals in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, WCK conducted an agricultural assessment of Puerto Rico and determined that the best way to continue “feeding an island” was by supporting Puerto Rico’s smallholder farmers. Their Plow To Plate program is increasing food security in Puerto Rico by providing funding, training, and networking opportunities to smallholder farmers and businesses that support local agriculture.
As a rule, I don’t encourage actions on the part of my readers. As a rule. However, since learning of the World Central Kitchen and the unbelievable work they do, I urge you to donate what you can to help their cause. Someone somewhere will be nourished and comforted when they need it the most. You can do so at donate.wck.org.