WCK Relief Ship on the way to Tonga

 

WCK Heads to Tonga with Food and Supplies The Polynesian kingdom of Tonga was devastated after the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted—the eruption was hundreds of times more powerful than the first atomic bomb and generated tsunami waves in Tonga and around the world. The disaster left entire Tongan communities covered in ash and critical infrastructure destroyed. Because Tonga is Covid-free with closed borders, the WCK team can't be on the ground as we normally do. So we flew to Fiji, began prepping food & hygiene kits (plus solar lamps & masks) for families, and found a ship to get us 500 miles across the South Pacific to deliver contactless to our partners there. They will then distribute to affected communities in coordination with the Tongan government. WCK's Nate Mook reports in from the port in Fiji, as he and the team loaded up thousands of family food kits and other supplies, with the journey taking 3 days. In addition to the thousands of food kits on the boat headed to Tonga, we have also activated 12 local restaurants on the island, which began serving hot meals this week. They are delivering over 3,400 fresh-cooked plates to communities each day, such as chicken curry or fried chicken with cassava and rice, bread, and watermelon. SUPPORT WCK RELIEF EFFORTS We are working closely with the Tonga community in Fiji, partnering with the Apitonga Community Center to support their donation drive for family and relatives back in Tonga. Due to Covid, they have been unable to return for 2 years. 11 containers and our truck were loaded onto a Fiji government ship last night and are on the way to Tonga! Serving Afghan Refugees in Arizona When thousands of families fled Afghanistan in late August, WCK mobilized our team and local restaurants to welcome refugees with nourishing, culturally appropriate dishes at airports in Washington DC, Spain, and Qatar. Now, WCK is working with partner organizations to determine how we can best support arriving families in the US. In Phoenix, WCK began supporting three local restaurants to cook for Afghan refugees awaiting resettlement. Over 1,000 hot, Halal meals are prepared and delivered each day across three hotels temporarily housing families. Since beginning our efforts in Phoenix earlier this month, we have served over 20,000 meals including Lubya Afghan curry (red kidney bean curry) with rice and pita! WCK Ramps up Omicron Response in NYC For over a month, WCK has been providing fresh, restaurant-prepared meals to healthcare workers battling the Omicron surge in New York City. Meals have been delivered to over 80 vaccination and testing clinics across the five boroughs, including NYC Health & Hospitals sites and the NYPD Medical Division HQ in Queens. WCK is incredibly grateful for our longtime restaurant partners who have helped us provide New York frontline workers with millions of meals since our #ChefsForAmerica response began in 2020—and we are continuing to grow our network to cook for staff keeping New York safe! Supporting Families After The Bronx Fire On January 9, an apartment building caught fire in The Bronx, quickly becoming the deadliest fire New York City has seen in three decades. The tragedy claimed the lives of 17 people including 8 children, and left many residents displaced. WCK arrived immediately to begin providing nourishing meals—prepared by our restaurant partners in the city— for residents and first responders. At the height of our response, we were providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner to six hotels housing displaced families, emergency crews at the scene, medical staff attending to injured residents at Jacobi Medical Center, and a service center connecting impacted families to critical resources. Although some families have been able to return home, WCK is continuing to support people who have been permanently displaced and are waiting to be relocated. Together with 32 local partners, the Relief Team has distributed over 22,000 meals.  Chef Relief Training Comes to DC Want to learn how to initiate and lead an emergency food response in the event your community is ever affected by a disaster? Join us on March 10 and 11 for WCK’s Chef Relief Training where participants learn how to safely and effectively provide meals for communities in the aftermath of a disaster, whether or not WCK is on the ground to respond. The two-day event will take place at our Relief Operations Center in Capitol Heights, MD, and you can register here. We look forward to seeing you!  For the latest on WCK response efforts, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.