16 million meals + 8 million pounds of food 🇺🇦 Latest from Ukraine

 

#ChefsForUkraine Latest: Over 16 million meals served and 8 million pounds of food delivered to families across Ukraine The invasion of Ukraine has now entered its third month, and WCK continues to expand our efforts to support the brave and resilient Ukrainian people. Millions of families have been forced to flee their homes as other live in basements underground, staying safe as bombs fall on their neighborhoods. The attacks have not slowed, and as the war shifts east and south, WCK teams are delivering meals to newly liberated cities and stockpiling food in areas under constant attack. With your help, we have served more than 16 million meals and have teams active in 110 cities and towns in Ukraine. We have also built a logistics network of delivery vans, trucks, trains, and warehouses throughout the country, delivering over 8 million pounds of food to families—sometimes in areas completely cut off due to fighting and near the Russian border.   HELP US KEEP SERVING MEALS IN UKRAINE Kharkiv—Ukraine’s second largest city—is bombed daily as Russian troops continue to advance toward it. Apartment buildings we deliver food to are often hit, and a hospital we serve north of the city was heavily damaged by artillery shells. One of our WCK restaurant partners in Kharkiv was preparing meals when a missile hit across the street. The attack destroyed the Yaposhka kitchen, and four staff went to the hospital with burn injuries. WCK’s Nate was nearby when the attack happened and visited the injured team members in the hospital. Their spirits were strong—Yulia, pictured on the right beside Nate, shared that she was eager to get back to the kitchen. The rest of Yaposhka’s team quickly got all salvageable food and equipment out of the damaged building and was back cooking in a new location within two days! This incredible, heroic dedication is something we see every day across Ukraine. The #ChefsForUkraine team is now thousands of Ukrainians strong, including hundreds of restaurants cooking for shelters, hospitals, and more. José visited one WCK restaurant, Moderna, this week in Dnipro. Anastasia runs the location where her team cooks and delivers tens of thousands of meals each day. Despite threats of increased bombings and a missile attack on a residential building in Odesa, Ukrainians still came together to celebrate last weekend’s Easter holiday with all the traditions possible. WCK teams across the country and in neighboring Poland prepared special meals, baked sweet treats, and painted eggs for the festivities! At a train station in Kyiv on Sunday, we met two-year-old Poleena. Her family was on their way to Germany, with her father staying behind. Her mother told us, “She has never left Sumy, and these last few weeks she has gotten wide-eyed and quiet. Here, she plays with all the other children, she is smiling again!”  WCK teams will continue working every day to get freshly prepared meals and ingredients for cooking to people across Ukraine, as well as families sheltering outside the country. The situation changes daily, so we will keep adapting to new needs. To stay up to date on our #ChefsForUkraine response, follow WCK on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.  Human food is always priority, but that doesn’t mean we can’t deliver pet food as well! This is at the main animal shelter in Kharkiv, still operational with a limited but dedicated staff. The WCK team visits twice a week and provides food for the staff, too! WCK Activates in South Africa in Response to Flooding Earlier this month, heavy rainfall in South Africa brought floods and mudslides that devastated communities around Durban and on the east coast. Hundreds of people were tragically killed, many houses have been destroyed, and areas are without clean water and electricity. Working with local organization Gift of the Givers, WCK supported the assembly of 3,000 food kits that were distributed to affected areas over the last week. The kits include water and ingredients intended to support families for one month. Thankfully, the rain has stopped, and with strong community support, recovery efforts are underway.